Crusaders Drop Two to Howard Payne

IRVING, Texas - The University of Dallas softball team lost both games of their double-header against Howard Payne University on Saturday.  They fall to 1-7 on the year.

GAME 1 - Dallas 10, Howard Payne 15

WP: Bree Cason (1-1)

LP: Isabella Garza (0-2)

The Crusaders nearly escaped the first inning unscathed, but a pair of two-out extra base hits and an error saw the Yellow Jackets take an early 3-0 lead.  Dallas pulled one back in the bottom half of the inning, and HPU tacked on three more in the top of the second.

After holding HPU scoreless in the top of the third, the Crusaders exploded for eight runs on seven hits in the bottom of the inning to take a 9-6 lead.  The inning picked up steam after a bases clearing double by Jennifer Schmalz, who one-hopped the wall on a deep fly over the center fielder's head.

The Yellow Jackets answered back with three runs in the fourth, but Dallas took a 10-9 lead on a sac fly by Faith Martin in the bottom half of the inning.  HPU scraped across a run to tie up the game in the top of the sixth and held the Crusaders scoreless in the bottom half, leaving everything to play for in the seventh.

Howard Payne had one more big inning up their sleeves, plating five runs on six hits.  The Crusaders were put down 1-2-3 in bottom half to give the Yellow Jackets the win.

GAME 2 - Dallas 7, Howard Payne 13

WP: Maddison Cason (1-0)

LP: Caitlynn Freyman (0-3)

This time, it was Dallas who took an early lead.  After setting down the Yellow Jackets 1-2-3 to start the game, the Crusaders took advantage of a couple of defensive miscues to drive in two runs on two hits in the bottom of the first.

The Yellow Jackets tied it right back up with two runs in the second, but Dallas gave themselves some cushion with four runs in the third to take a 6-2 lead.

From their, the two offenses went in separate directions, with Howard Payne heating up and Dallas going ice cold over the next three innings.  The Yellow Jackets score nine runs across the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings, with five of those runs coming in the fifth.  They tacked on two more in the seventh to make it a 13-6 game.

Dallas managed to scrap out a run in the bottom of the seventh, but couldn't cut into anymore than that as the Yellow Jackets hung on for the sweep.

Up Next

The Crusaders will host Dallas Christian next Sunday, March 5.  Game one is scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. first pitch.