Crusaders Softball Claws Back to Walk-off with SCAC Opening Split against Austin College
IRVING, Texas – The University of Dallas softball team played on its home field for the first time this spring, hosting Austin College in a four-game series. The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) series featured a pair of one-run decisions with each team picking up a victory.
Game one, the 'Roos scored all their runs in the first two innings and held off Dallas the rest of the way despite the tying and winning runs in scoring position before the last out was made. Game two was a slugfest, as both sides scored at least 10 more runs and it was UD that got to enjoy a walk-off with Devinne Green (Riverside, Calif.) lacing a soft single.
Annabel Anderson (Midlothian, Texas) stood out in both contests with a home run in each. The two match her season total from the shortened year of 2020.
(Game 1 Information)
Team Scores: Austin College (3), Dallas (2)
Team Records: Austin College (1-4, 1-2 SCAC), Dallas (0-4, 0-4 SCAC)
Pitching Records: W) Richendollar (1-2), L) Watts (0-3), S) Maisonet (1)
Austin College struck in the first inning with a RBI single by Andrea Saucedo that scored Elizabeth Preston. Preston was involved in the next inning with a double that scored Avery Atencio. Lyndsey Busch provided the last RBI hit for the 'Roos with a single to score Levan. Both runners that scored had reached via a walk and were able to come home on back-to-back two-out hits.
Hannah Richendollar faced one over the minimum through the first three innings, as Karly Girod (Fort Worth, Texas) was the lone Crusader to reach base in that span via a single.
The Crusaders did get on the board in the fourth inning, as Liz Cordova (Oklahoma City, Okla.) hit a sacrifice fly to center field that scored Madison Coutts (Tampa, Fla.). Coutts led off the inning with a walk and went to second on a passed ball. Anderson singled to put runners on the corners and then got into scoring position herself with a stolen base. After the RBI flyout, the next two Crusaders would make outs in the air to end the threat.
Anderson smacked a two-out home run to slash the deficit to one. Cordova followed with the team's other extra base hit of the game with a double but would be left there. UD did not have a hit in the last inning, but would start things with runners on via a free pass and hit by pitch. The runners moved up a base but a ground out to short stop finished the win for the 'Roos. Alice Maisonet earned the save by getting the last two Dallas outs. She followed a great start by Richendollar that included 6.1 innings, four hits, one earned run, two walks, and two strikeouts.
UD's Emily Martin (San Jose, Calif.) pitched five shutout innings of relief to give the team a chance to battle back. She scattered three hits and walks. Martin punched out five batters.
Three were 10 combined hits in this game.
(Game 2 Information)
Team Scores: Austin College (12), Dallas (13)
Team Records: Austin College (1-5, 1-3 SCAC), Dallas (1-4, 1-4 SCAC)
Pitching Records: W) Watts (1-3), L) Richendollar (1-3)
Unlike game one where the team's combined to eclipse the minimum double-digit mark in hits, these teams easily did that on their own in runs and hits in game two. The Crusaders garnered 19 hits, while Austin College had 14.
Runs were plentiful as the teams scored in all but three innings. UD scored a run in all-but the first inning but spent time catching up. Meanwhile, the 'Roos leaped to a 5-0 edge through the first two innings and would score 10 runs through the first four frames before cooling off. Ashley Elliott tripled to right to highlight the runs scored in the first inning. Three-of-the-four run scoring plays in this span were not on a hit.
Dallas worked on cutting into the deficit in the second inning as Green singled Karina Campo (Georgetown, Texas). AC would get that run back in the top of the third.
The Crusaders started changing the tide in the bottom of the third with three runs on five hits. Cordova started the inning with a double and then Bri Hale (Austin, Texas) walked. Brenna Kelly (Missouri City, Texas) drove in the first run with an RBI hit through the left side. After an out was made, Campo singled through the left side to load the bases. Bonnie Swinnea (Kosse, Texas) had a single through the left side to move everyone up and plate a run. Anderson had another single to pull the home team within two runs.
The 'Roos countered with a four-run fourth to build their great lead of the game, 10-4. Dallas had a quartet of runs in the bottom half make it a two-run game again. All the runs-batted-in came from either a walk or hit by pitch.
Anderson's two-run homer in the sixth gave Dallas its first lead of the series, 11-10. In the top of the seventh, a couple errors kept the 'Roos alive and Avery Atencio was able to get on base while Maisonet and Saucedo scored the tying and go-ahead runs. Dallas never hit into another out on the day, as Kelly and Girod singled to reach base. Campo then got on base by a defensive miscue from Austin College. Kelly crossed home to tie the score on that play. Swinnea loaded the bags with the team's third single of the inning. Green had the game-winning knock to score Girod.
A quartet of players had extra base hits, which included Cordova and Campo with a double apiece, Coutts with a triple, and Anderson going yard. All Dallas players in the lineup recorded at least one hit and one run. Anderson, Cordova, and Green had three-for-five games, while Anderson drove in three runs.
Watts pitched the final three innings of relief and did not allow an earned run while fanning four and not walking any. The senior was important guiding the defensive side of the ball in crunch time.
Elliott led the 'Roos with a 3-for-5 game, two RBI, a run scored, and picked up two triples. Four different pitchers saw time in the circle for the 'Roos.
It was also the first win at Dallas for head coach Christian Novak.
These teams will conclude the series on Sunday at 12 p.m. the first game is the rubber match of the three-game series that counts for the league standings. The second game of the doubleheader tomorrow will be a non-conference game.
SOCIAL MEDIA
#UDCRUSADERS WIN!#WeAreUD #UDallas #SCACstrong #d3sb pic.twitter.com/amp8VeYzcB
— UDallas Athletics (@UDallasSports) March 21, 2021