Crusaders Rally falls Short; Drop Two Against Hendrix on Sunday
IRVING, Texas – The University of Dallas softball team was defeated twice on Sunday afternoon to Hendrix College. The Crusaders trailed 5-2 in their final turn to bat and brought the tying runner to third base before Hendrix locked down the narrow victory in game one. The Warriors posted 13 runs in the final two innings of a five-inning final to secure the doubleheader sweep.
(Game 1 Information)
Team Scores: Hendrix (5), Dallas (4)
Team Records: (Hendrix 2-1), Dallas (3-2)
Pitcher Records: W) Bryant (1-1), L) Watts (2-1), S) Johnston (1)
The Warriors scored three runs in the second to build an early advantage on UD. After Maggie Watts (Arcadia, La.) retired the first two hitters for the second inning in a row, Colclaser walked to ignite a strand of five straight players reaching for the visitors. The final four batters reached via a base knock, with Kinsey Bryant, Jaydan Hunt, and Abby Gilbreath all collecting runs batted in.
Dallas answered with the first two batters reaching in Mackenzie Tano (Wylie, Texas) getting a hit and Bonnie Swinnea (Kosse, Texas) walking. After a sacrifice bunt moved the pair into scoring position, a foul out and pop up kept the score at 3-0.
UD did get on the board in the fourth and fifth innings with a run in each, but left the bags full in both. Hale singled to left field to plate Tano and nip the score to 3-1. After Hendrix went back up to four with two runs in the fifth, the Crusaders got a run in on a Hale walk in the home half of the frame.
With one out in the seventh, Swinnea singled through the left side, Yared Cortez (Clint, Texas) walked, and a wild pitch advanced the two to scoring position. After another groundout to bring Hendrix needing one out more to win, Kerstyn McLain (Splendora, Texas) singled to center to score both runs and make it 5-4. The Warriors immediately summoned Hailey Johnston, a lefty to try and nail down the save. Madison Coutts (Tampa, Fla.) fell behind in the count 0-2, but lined a 1-2 pitch to right field and move McLain to third. Johnston got the final out on a sharp grounder hit right at third to earn the save.
Dallas logged eight hits and had 10 walks as a group, but stranded 14 runners. Annabel Anderson (Midlothian, Texas) drew three of those free passes and also had a run. McLain and Coutts each posted multi-hit games with two. Defensively, Anderson threw out her second baserunner trying to score at home, giving her two assists.
Watts was saddled with her first loss on the year with a 7.0 inning effort. She allowed five runs (four earned) on 10 hits, walked one, and struck out two.
Hendrix was led by K. Bryant at the plate with a perfect day (3-3) and RBI and run scored. Aubrey Brink and Grace Bryant each added a 2-3 performance. Brink scored and drove in a run. Hunt, Taylor Oslesby, G. Bryant, and K. Bryant logged doubles.
G. Bryant earned the win in the circle with four innings in the start. She walked six and fanned four, while giving up a run on three hits. Skyler Teague threw 2.2 innings and allowed three runs on four hits to go with four walks.
(Game 2 Information)
Team Scores: Hendrix (17), Dallas (0)
Team Records: (Hendrix 3-1), Dallas (3-3)
Pitcher Records: W) White (1-0), L) Martin (0-1)
Laura Mortan singled to right center to put Hendrix up in the first inning of this one. Hunt scored on the play after starting the game with a walk. Another three-run second inning extended the lead and this time UD's offense was limited to a pair of hits and walks for five innings.
The Warriors used a three-run fourth to stretch the gap to seven runs and then poured 10 runs in the fifth to secure the run-ruled triumph. HC had loaded the bases in the fifth with no outs and the crusaders fought to get a strikeout and force out at home that involved a good defensive play from Julie Duenas (Houston, Texas) to Karly Girod (Fort Worth, Texas). Lindsay Devlin (Leander, Texas) threw a wild pitch to let the eighth run in, and then nine batters reached after. Five were via a walk with four that brought a run home.
Emily Martin (San Jose, Calif.) started the first three plus innings and would re-enter to get the last out. She was charged five runs on just as many hits, walked nine, and struck out two. Devlin went 1.2 innings and gave up seven hits and walked five. She struck out one.
Anderson and Liz Cordova (Okla.) had UD's only hits.
Hendrix was led by K. Bryant with four RBI and was part of a quartet to register two-hit games. Mortan, Avery Colclaser, and Savannah Shaw also were in that unit. Mortan and Shaw had two ribbies and two runs, while Colclaser scored twice. Hunt and Aubrey Brink each logged a triple.
UP NEXT
Dallas participates in the Millsaps Tournament 2020 from Feb. 21-23. The team will play host school Millsaps on Friday night. UD also will see Mississippi University for Women and LaGrange College in that weekend slate.