UD Softball Swept by No. 1 Texas Lutheran
IRVING, Texas – The University of Dallas softball team dropped two games on Saturday to top-ranked Texas Lutheran University to drop a three-game sweep to start Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) play.
(Game 1 Information) (F/5)
Team Scores: Texas Lutheran (11), Dallas (2)
Team Records: Texas Lutheran (10-0, 2-0 SCAC), Dallas (4-9, 0-2 SCAC)
Pitcher Records: W) Raines (2-0), L) Campo (0-1)
The Crusaders worked around a one-out walk in the first inning, but would quickly find trouble in the second inning with two runs allowed. TLU started things with a Madisyn Cates single through the right side. She scored on a Haley Padilla triple to right and Skylar Ouellette followed with an RBI hit up the middle to finish the scoring.
A four-run third extended the margin for the Bulldogs. The first run came with the help of a couple defensive miscues. Later, Ouellette singled to center for the first run driven in of the frame. McKay Bloxham doubled through the left side for a two-run knock.
UD countered with its best offensive showing of the doubleheader with two runs on four hits in its turn to bat next. With one away, Mackenzie Tano (Wylie, Texas) started a stretch of the top-four hitters in the lineup reaching when she singled through the right side. Madison Coutts (Tampa, Fla.) and Annabel Anderson (Midlothian, Texas) added consecutive singles through the infield to load the bases. Julie Duenas (Houston, Texas) blooped a singled in front of Texas Lutheran's right fielder to drive in Tano. Coutts would score on the error as the throw was attempted to be cutoff, but glanced off the glove and headed into the third base dugout to allow all runners to advance a base. Back-to-back groundouts to second kept the score at 6-2.
A five-run fifth secured the victory and run-ruled final for the Bulldogs, who won their 10th in a row to start the campaign.
Coutts had a 2-for-3, as the top four batters in the Crusaders lineup accounted for all five hits. Karina Campo (Georgetown, Texas) gave up six runs (five earned) on seven hits in three innings of her start. She walked and struck out two. Maggie Watts (Arcadia, La.) threw the final two frames.
The Bulldogs pounded 12 hits with Raines, Cates, and Ouellette recording 2-for-3 showings. Hitters 6-9 combined for six RBI with Ouellete and Bloxham each with two. Raines and Bloxham had doubles and Padilla laced the three-bagger.
Raines earned the win in the circle with three innings thrown. She allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits to go with a walk and punch out. Jordaine Bishop and Amanda White added a scoreless inning each, with White allowing two runners via a free pass.
(Game 2 Information (F/5)
Team Scores: Texas Lutheran (8), Dallas (0)
Team Records: Texas Lutheran (11-0, 3-0 SCAC), Dallas (4-10, 0-3 SCAC)
Pitcher Records: W) Strother (4-0), L) Martin (1-4)
The Bulldogs scored a run in each inning they batted, though the highest scoring output was three in the third that essentially extended the gap out of reach. Rebecca Snow singled up the middle to play Kelly Jurden for the first run. In the second inning, it was Bloxham bringing in Kali Chatham.
That big third involved Padilla getting a ribbie on a hit to center. Snow later scored on a ball put in play in the infield that she would have scored on regardless of a UD defensive miscue. A double steal capped the scoring with Padilla advancing after DeAnna Hernandez grabbed second.
Two more runs in the fourth and a hit by Bloxham in the fifth made it an eight-run gap again after five.
UD did not muster a single hit, as two Bulldog pitchers faced just one above the minimum in the five-inning contest. A two-out walk to Anderson in the first inning was all the Bulldogs contended with for traffic.
Ashlyn Strother hurled four shutout frames and worked around the walk. She added a trio of strikeouts. Sydney Ouellette had a strikeout in a perfect fifth.
The Bulldogs had doubles from Jurden and Snow as part of their team's a dozen hits. Bloxham was perfect 3-for-3 with two ribbies and a run scored. Jurden, Snow, and Cates had two-hit outings and were involved with runs scored or driven in to some capacity.
Dallas' Emily Martin (San Jose, Calif.) allowed all 12 TLU hits in five innings. She gave up eight runs and did not walk or fan a batter.
UP NEXT
Dallas plays a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday, March 4, with Hardin-Simmons University. First pitch of the opening game is slated for 4 p.m.