Crusaders Lose 11 Inning Thriller, Centenary Sweeps
IRVING, Texas - The University of Dallas softball team lost both games of their conference doubleheader against Centenary College on Saturday. They fall to 5-21 overall on the year and 0-12 in conference.
GAME 1 - Dallas 1, Centenary 7
WP: Alexis Roach (3-3)
Caitlynn Freyman (2-9)
The Crusaders played an untidy first few innings of softball. Centenary took a 4-0 lead after three innings, with not a single run being earned. The Ladies extended their lead to 6-0 in the fifth with a two-out, two RBI single.
Dallas caught a break in the sixth. Centenary's catcher tried to nail Mariah Hinojosa as she tried to take third base on a wild pitch and her throw sailed down the left field line, allowing Hinojosa to easily score what would be the Crusaders' only run of the game.
The Ladies added another insurance run in the seventh, and the Crusaders went down 1-2-3 to end the game, clinching the series for Centenary.
GAME 2 - Dallas 5, Centenary 6 (11 Innings)
WP:Anna Scarbrock (6-8)
LP: SunnyDale Thies (2-9)
The series finale can only be described as remarkable.
Both starting pitchers went the distance, having both done so in game one yesterday as well. SunnyDale Thies threw over 250 pitches in less than 24 hours. Though you wouldn't think a performance where you allow 6 runs on 18 hits is impressive, what Thies did in the circle for Dallas was nothing short of spectacular.
Thies left the bases loaded three times in the game. Her knack for getting herself out of jams created drama of the highest order, as Centenary stranded a whopping 20 baserunners in the game, 16 of those being in regulation.
Were it not for her performance, the Crusaders would not have been able to come back the way they did.
After being no-hit for five innings, the Crusaders were down by three going into the bottom of the sixth. They finally got themselves in the "H" column and got on the board with an RBI single by Emily Luna. Mariah Hinojosa came up huge with two outs, driving in Abby Lasley and Luna to tie the game at 3-3.
The teams kept trading blows from there. The Ladies came up with a big two-out hit to take a 4-3 lead in the seventh, only for Dallas to come right back and tie it up with an RBi double by Thies as she helped her own cause. The drama really ramped up in the eighth, as both teams scored with two outs. Faith Martin tied the game up with a single to left when she was down to her last strike.
In the end, the Ladies found the edge and held on for the win, completing the series sweep.
Up Next
The Crusaders play their final home series of the season next. They will host St. Thomas for a three-game series, starting with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 15. Game one is scheduled for a 12:00 p.m. first pitch.