Dallas Baseball Defeats Braircliffe and Central Baptist in Weekend Finales

The University of Dallas baseball team added 2 more wins to their total in a pair of nine inning games Sunday afternoon. UD overcame early deficits in both games.  In the matchup against the Briarcliffe College Seahawks UD secured the 8-7 victory, and closed out the five game weekend with an 8-6 win over the Central Baptist Mustangs.

Reflecting the 8:00am start time, UD fell behind early when Briarcliffe plated 3 in the top of the second before slowly getting back into the game with runs in the second and third innings.  Briarcliffe scored two more in the top of the fourth to extend their lead to 5-2, but Dallas had an answer as they put three runs on the board to tie the game at 5-5.  The Crusaders added 2 more runs in the bottom of the sixth for the first lead, and righthanded starter Philip Carkhuff (Marietta, GA/The Lovett School) kept the Seahawks scoreless until the top of the eighth inning.  With the 7-5 lead, Dallas put up another run in the bottom of the seventh to make their lead to 8-5 before Briarcliffe added 2 more runs in the controversial top of the eighth.  With one out and one on base in the frame, Carkhuff gave way to sophomore righty Michael Schweiss (Parker, CO/Chaparral H.S.) who wrapped up the win for Carkhuff while he recorded his first save of the year.  Sophomore outfielder/infielder Brian Shelburne (Portsmouth, RI/Portsmouth H.S.) remained red hot in going 3-3 at the plated, including his team leading 12th double, and added an RBI and a run.  Freshman outfielder Adam Farris (Flower Mound, TX/Liberty Christian), freshman outfielder Nico Caluda (New Orleans, LA/Jesuit H.S.), junior infielder David Rettinger (San Antonio, TX/Central Catholic H.S.) all collected 2 hits in the come from behind win.  Farris also drove in 4 runs and scored once while adding his 8th double and 4th home run, Caluda scored once, and Rettinger scored twice.    

In game two, senior starting pitcher Joe Zimmerman (Woodstock, MD/Chapelgate Christian Academy) pitched seven and a third innings, giving up 6 runs on 7 hits, to earn the win. Briarcliffe again jumped out to an early lead, this time 2-0 in the third, only to see UD storm back once again. Dallas scored one run in the third, two in the fourth, one in the fifth and four in the sixth to take a 8-2 lead. UD's outburst was highlighted by sophomore outfielder Devin Arnold (McKinney, TX/McKinney H.S.) and sophomore catcher Varea Costello (Anchorage, AK/South Anchorage H.S.) who had 2 hits and 2 RBIs each and combined to score 3 runs. Senior second baseman Sean McSheffery (Woodridge, IL/Downers Grove North) reached base three times, with two hits and walk, and also scored a run. Briarcliffe rallied to score 4 runs in the eighth, but were shut down by freshman Chase Cooper (Flower Mound, TX/Liberty Christian) and sophomore Michael Schweiss over the last inning and a third.

UD will conclude their regular season with home games against Chapman University Saturday, May 1 and Sunday, May 2. The first game of Saturday's nine inning doubleheader will begin at 12:00pm, and the Sunday nine inning game starts at 2:00pm.