Baseball rallies late to claim Game 3 victory in weekend series against UT-Dallas

RICHARDSON, Texas - After being held scoreless for the first seven innings, the University of Dallas baseball team (19-10) rallied to score a combined five runs in the 8th and 9th innings to defeat the University of Texas at Dallas (UT-Dallas), 5-2, on Sunday afternoon.

With the victory, the Crusaders avoided a series and season sweep at the hands of the Comets, taking one out of three games played. 

Freshman left-handed pitcher Dylan Myers (Rosebud, Texas/Rosebud-Lott H.S.) was given his 2nd start of the season on the mound for head coach Fraser Holmes' squad. In four innings of work, Myers allowed two runs (both earned) on eight hits, while striking out a batter and walking another. Unfortunately for the southpaw was the fact the Crusaders couldn't generate any offense for Myers in his solid outing. 

Down 2-0 entering the bottom of the 5th inning, junior right-handed pitcher Michael Schweiss (Parker, Colo./Chaparral H.S.) finished the game for the Crusaders in relief. Schweiss was stellar, allowing only two hits and a walk, in addition to striking out three Comet batters, in the course of five innings on the hill. 

The dormant Dallas offense awoke in the 8th inning against UT-Dallas, producing three runs in the inning. Facing a new pitcher (Campbell), the first Crusader hitter right fielder Adam Farris (Flower Mound, Texas/Liberty Christian H.S.) smashed a double to left center. The ensuing batter, shortstop David Rettinger (San Antonio, Texas/Central Catholic H.S.) trotted to first base after being walked. Laying down a sacrifice bunt, designated hitter Nico Caluda (New Orleans, La./Jesuit H.S.) was out on the play, but his job was done as both runners were in scoring position. After junior catcher Varea Costello (Anchorage, Alaska/South Anchorage H.S.) earned a walk, Willard entered the game for UT-Dallas with the bases loaded to pitch to second baseman Mark Carlson (Hawthorn Woods, Ill./Home School). 

Carlson's single up the right side of the infield put Dallas on the scoreboard, as Farris touched home plate. The Crusaders knotted up the score at 2-2, when left fielder Devin Arnold (McKinney, Texas/McKinney H.S.) reached on a fielding error by the Comets' second baseman, allowing Rettinger to score. Center fielder Brian Shelburne (Portsmouth, R.I./Portsmouth H.S.) put the Crusaders ahead for good when his game-winning ground out to the first baseman scored Costello -- this ended the Dallas scoring in the 8th inning. 

After Schweiss and the Crusaders held UT-Dallas to a single and an error in the bottom of the 8th inning, it was onward to the 9th. A Rettinger single up the middle of the infield made the score 4-2 in favor of Dallas, as first baseman Andrew Bossert (Friendswood, Texas/Friendswood H.S.) touched home after initially being hit by a pitch. Rettinger later scored the game's final run when Costello reached on a fielder's choice. 

In the bottom of the 9th inning, Schweiss was on his game. The first batter grounded out to Carlson. The next two batters were victimized by Schweiss in the form of the strike out, in a 1-2-3 game-ending inning. 

Next opponent: 

Dallas will host East Texas Baptist University on Tuesday, April 5, at Crusader Field. First pitch of the nine inning game is scheduled for 4 p.m.