Dallas Baseball Splits Another Doubleheader

After they fell behind early to the Briarcliffe College Seahawks the UD baseball team lost the first game of their doubleheader 6-2, but came back for the win in the second game 5-4.

Lately the Crusaders have been getting off to slow starts, and this game was no exception to that trend. In the top of the first inning Briarcliffe quickly built a large lead, scoring 5 runs on 4 hits. Although controversy over an illegal bat shed light into the first inning runs, the damage could not be reversed.  Sophomore starter Michael Schweiss  (Parker, CO/Chaparral H.S.) held the Seahawks scoreless in the second inning, but they were able to add their final run of the game in the top of the third to make the score 6-0 in their favor.  At that point the UD bats came to life and UD actually outplayed Briarcliffe but the 6 run lead was too much for UD.

UD finally got a run on the board in the bottom of the third inning when freshman outfielder Nico Caluda (New Orleans, LA/Jesuit H.S.) stroked an RBI double that brought sophomore outfielder/infielder Brian Shelburne (Portsmouth, RI/Portsmouth H.S.) across the plate, bringing UD within 5 runs. After a scoreless fourth inning, freshman pitcher Chase Cooper (Flower Mound, TX/Liberty Christian H.S.) came in and silenced the Seahawk bats.  Unfortunately UD only managed to score one more time when a fifth inning Shelburne single brought sophomore infielder Michael Morison (Dallas, TX/Lake Hill Prep) home.

Pitching in relief Chase Cooper threw 3 great innings. He faced nine batters and only gave up a hit to go along with no runs. He also struck out two batters while not giving up a single walk to Briarcliffe.

In the 5-4 victory in the nightcap of the doubleheader, sophomore starter Michael Byers (Front Royal, VA/Seton Home School) held the Briarcliffe College Seahawks to 4 runs through 6 innings on 6 hits, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts and let the offense do the rest before junior closer Phil Carkhuff (Marietta, GA/The Lovett School) came in to retire the side 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh.  Byers picked up his second win and Carkhuff saved his third game.

Freshman outfielder Nico Caluda went 3 for 3 at the plate including a double to jump start the Crusaders' 2 run fifth, and later came around to score on a wild pitch. Freshman right fielder Adam Farris (Flower Mound, TX/Liberty Christian), sophomore first baseman Michael Morrison (Dallas, TX/Lake Hill Prep) and sophomore outfielder Devin Arnold (McKinney, TX/McKinney H.S.) each contributed key doubles in a three run bottom of the fifth.  Morrison's double drove in Farris for the first run while Arnold's double an out later drove in Morrison for the third run of the inning.  Junior infielder David Rettinger (San Antonio, TX/Central Catholic H.S.) recorded a hit on the day as well and scored the Dallas' final run in the bottom of the fifth.

The 11-22 baseball team resumes play tomorrow afternoon at 12:00pm when they play host to Central Baptist College.  They then have a rematch against Briarcliffe College at 3:00pm.