Dallas Baseball Overpowered by Chapman University
The Dallas baseball team fell twice to the number four nationally ranked Panthers of Chapman University 11-1, and 10-4. Saturday's doubleheader, which constituted the first two games of the three game series scheduled for this weekend, was played at 12:00pm and 3:00pm with the final and third game to be played on Sunday. This year's series marked the third consecutive meeting in which the two programs have met and the second time Chapman has come to visit Irving.
In the opening contest, Dallas fell behind early and struggled to round the bases as they mustered only 2 hits in nine frames. Senior second baseman Sean McSheffery (Woodridge, IL/Downers Grove North) and sophomore outfielder Devin Arnold (McKinney, TX/McKinney H.S.) recorded the hits and McSheffery received the lone RBI when he knocked in freshman right fielder Adam Farris (Flower Mound, TX/Liberty Christian) with a single to left field. Sophomore starting pitcher Mike Byers (Front Royal, VA/Seton Home School) managed to keep a powerful Chapman offense at bay for a while pitching five and a third innings while only giving up 3 earned runs.
The second game featured a much closer fight as UD landed 12 hits including 4 runs in the final 2 innings. Chapman was held to 10, and the firepower at the plate might have been enough but Dallas could not convert on enough scoring chances stranding 9 on the paths. McSheffery once again sparked the offense in his second to last home game lining 3 hits. His RBI single to right field in the eighth inning scored the first Dallas run of the game sending sophomore Brian Shelburne (Portsmouth, RI/Portsmouth H.S.) around from second. Farris' two out RBI single to right field plated freshman outfielder Nico Caluda (New Orleans, LA/Jesuit H.S.) for the second run of the inning. Dallas added two more in the bottom half of the ninth as sophomore catcher Varea Costello (Anchorage, AK/South Anchorage H.S.) remained hot with his third single of the game. After Arnold reached on a fielder's choice and advance to second, Shelburne stepped up in the clutch with a two out single down the left field line to drive in Arnold. Caluda's RBI double down the right field line plated the fourth and final run for UD in the 10-4 loss.
The two teams are back at it tomorrow afternoon with one more game left in the series, and season for the Crusaders. The 14-24 UD baseball team starts their nine inning game with the Panthers tomorrow afternoon at 2:00pm. To watch the final game of the season login into the College TV Ticket website at: http://www.collegetvticket.com/.