Baseball splits Opening Day games with Sul Ross State University, rubber-match looms

IRVING, Texas - The University of Dallas baseball team (1-1) began their season with a double-header on Saturday afternoon at Crusader field against Sul Ross State University. Dallas split the two games amid beautiful weather and an adoring crowd.

Game 1: Dallas 8, Sul Ross 4 State University (F/7) Boxscore

Crusader senior right-handed pitcher Philip Carkhuff (Marietta, Ga./The Lovett School) got the 'Opening Day' nod for head coach Fraser Holmes' Dallas squad. In his first inning of work to start the 2011 campaign, Carkhuff gave up 0 runs, 0 hits, and even picked off a Lobo at first base.

Carkhuff's final stat line in Game 1 included five innings of work, in which he struck out eight batters and allowed only three hits.

Offensively speaking, Dallas jumped out to an early lead when sophomore right fielder Adam Farris (Flower Mound, Texas/Liberty Christian H.S.) hit a sacrifice fly to left field, allowing center fielder Brian Shelburne (Portsmouth, R.I./Portsmouth H.S.) to come in for the run.

After walking in the second inning, Dallas's junior catcher Varea Costello (Anchorage, Alaska/South Anchorage H.S.) scored an unearned run from a sequence of plays which gave the Crusaders a 2-0 lead.

Dallas broke the game open in the fourth inning as Shelburne knocked in shortstop Mark Carlson (Hawthorn Woods, Ill./Home School). The biggest damage occured when thirdbaseman David Rettinger (San Antonio, Texas/Central Catholic H.S.) took Luke Fry deep for a grand slam over the left field wall.

In the end, Dallas took Game 1 of the three game series with Sul Ross despite a four run sixth inning from the Lobos.  

Game 2: Dallas 3, Sul Ross State University 4 (F/7) Boxscore

With Game 1 under their belts, the Crusaders went with Andrew Laux (Keller, Texas/Keller H.S.) as the starting pitcher in Game 2.

Scoring didn't get underway in this tilt until the fifth inning. The right-handed Laux got into a jam in the fifth, and as a result had four runs charged to his name despite the relief pitcher Carkhuff's best efforts to minimize the damage. Carkhuff pitched 1.1 innings and was eventually relieved by junior righty Michael Schweiss (Parker, Colo./Chaparral H.S.).

In the seventh and final inning, Dallas let everything fly and knocked in three runs. The inning started with a single from designated hitter Nico Caluda (New Orleans, La./Jesuit H.S.). Then, first baseman Andrew Bossert (Friendswood, Texas/Friendswood H.S.) drew a walk. The two proceeded to succesfully pull off a double steal and were now standing at second and third base, respectively.

Up next was Carlson, and he trotted to first base after earning the walk. Catcher Delano Ponce (Albuquerque, N.M./Albuquerque Academy) then flew out to the centerfielder, allowing Caluda to tag up and score. Next, a single from junior left fielder Devin Arnold (McKinney, Texas/McKinney H.S.) netted him an RBI as Hansen scored. Shelburne reaching on a fielder's choice got him an RBI as Carlson crossed homeplate. Though third baseman Trevor Allred (Anchorage, Alaska/South Anchorage H.S.) reached after getting hit by a pitch, the rally and game ended when Farris, the next batter, grounded out to first base.

Up next for Dallas will be a rubber-match against Sul Ross on Sunday, Feb. 13, at 2:00 p.m., as the two teams go toe to toe, each seeking to win the series at Crusader Field.