Softball splits Tuesday's Makeup Doubleheader with LeTourneau

Softball splits Tuesday's Makeup Doubleheader with LeTourneau

IRVING, Texas - The University of Dallas softball team earned a split with non-conference opponent LeTourneau University on Tuesday evening. The Crusaders hung onto a 3-2 win in the first game. A late rally in game two came up short in a 10-8 final.

The Crusaders broke a 1-1 game in the bottom of the third, and Emily Martin (San Jose, Calif.) was able to earn her first save of the season with a scoreless seventh in a one-run ballgame.

Trailing 10-4 in the bottom of the seventh, UD stormed back with four runs – all with two outs – to nip the deficit to two runs. With the tying runner at second, a grounder to short finished the comeback attempt.


(Game 1 Information)

Team Scores: LeTourneau (2), Dallas (3)

Team Records: LeTourneau (11-20), Dallas (7-26)

Pitcher Record: W) Watts (4-12), L) Martinez (4-8), S) Martin (1)

Dallas took an early lead in the second inning on a wild pitch that allowed Haley Golden (Lake Dallas, Texas) to score.

The YellowJackets answered with a run in the next half inning to tie things. However, the Crusaders responded with two runs in the home third to go up the remainder of the contest. RBI singles by Gabbie Underwood (La Verne, Calif.) and Golden marked the damage. Julie Duenas (Houston, Texas) had stolen second base prior to the ribbie hit by Golden that proved to be the differential run.

Ashlin Roach homered to left in the top of the sixth inning to bring LeTourneau within a run.

The visitors put two runners on in the seventh. Shelby Barrick doubled to left to start the inning. After Martin got a strikeout, she walked the go-ahead runner onto first. The sophomore pitcher induced a foul out at third and fly ball to center to lock down the save.

The win snapped a 10-game slide, and gave the Crusaders consecutive home triumphs.

All seven hits came from the top five batters in the Dallas lineup. Golden Alicia Enciso (Corona, Calif.) recorded multi-hit games, with Golden perfect at the plate thanks to a walk in her additional plate appearance.

Maggie Watts (Arcadia, La.) threw six innings, and yielded two runs on four hits and two walks in the start.

Martin's save ties the single-season record in the program, and is the ninth time a player has achieved the feat. Martin also now has two career saves, which matches Katie Lee in the all-time records.

LeTourneau was held to five hits overall. Jacie Gilbert added two walks to her 1-for-1 showing and stole a base. Julie Martinez was saddled with the loss in 2.2 innings. She allowed all three runs on four hits to go with five walks. Amber Fillbrandt threw the last 3.1 shutout frames.


(Game 2 Information)

Team Scores: LeTourneau (10), Dallas (8)

Team Records: LeTourneau (12-20), Dallas (7-27)

Pitcher Record: W) Fillbrandt (2-3), L) Galvan (3-14), S) Martinez (1)

Underwood and Golden drove in the first two runs to give Dallas a brief lead in the first inning of the nightcap. The YellowJackets countered with a four-spot in the top of the second to go ahead the rest of the way.

Ethel Warren doubled to center for the first run. Singles by Kelsi Coleman and Roach accounted for the other runs-batted-in. Roach broke a 2-2 deadlock on a single to left field to round out the big inning.

UD picked up a run in the home inning, as Duenas reached on a fielder's choice with the bases loaded. Lauren Galvan (Bryan, Texas) scored on the play.

LeTourneau produced runs from the 2nd through fifth inning to reach double figures. A pair of runs in the third and trio of runs in the fourth extended the margin to 9-3. Hana Bonner tripled to right to plate the last two runs of that stretch.

Duenas singled to center for another RBI in the fourth, but the YellowJackets responded in the next half inning to match their largest lead of the game.

A lead-off hit started the seventh, but LETU turned a double play to get to bring things down to the last remaining out. The home team did not fold quietly, the next six batters reached, including five via a base knock. Katelyn Lazarek (Seattle, Wash.) tripled (1st of her career) in Mel Savala (Bryan, Texas) and Golden. Mackenzie Tano (Wylie, Texas) beat out an infield single that scored Lazarek. Galvan singled up the middle to end Fillbrandt's start in the circle. Enciso singled to continue reducing the gap, and advanced into second on the throw. The late-inning rally could not be completed, as the teams split the non-conference matchup.

Enciso and Stevenson paced the Crusaders with 3-for-5 displays in the box. Enciso added an RBI and run, while Stevenson scored a run. Duenas was the other home player with multiple hits, and gave the top third of the lineup a combined eight hits. Dallas punched 13 hits, and was only outdone by two against LeTourneau's 15. UD did make two errors versus none by its opposition.

Galvan surrendered seven runs (5 earned) on nine hits and walked two in 3 innings of the start. Watts threw the last three, and Martin worked her second scoreless seventh of the night.

Warren, Roach, and Bailey Woodard matched game-highs in hits with three apiece.

Fillbrandt worked 6.2 innings in the start. She allowed eight runs on 12 hits, walked four, and struck out two. Julie Martinez earned the save by getting the last out of the contest.

UP NEXT

Dallas closes out the regular season at home with a pair of doubleheaders on April 21st-22nd versus Southwestern University. Both start times are slated at 12 p.m.