Baseball 'gets it done' on road versus Austin College, captures season series
SHERMAN, Texas - The University of Dallas baseball team (22-11) defeated Austin College (9-22) on Sunday afternoon, 14-10, behind the Crusader hitters' keen eyes at the plate.
With the victory, Dallas has taken the season series (2-1) over their future Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) foe, finishing all three games of the series on the weekend with the Kangaroos.
It was scoring abound, as Saturday's contest saw Dallas jump out to a 2-1 advantage on the scoreboard in the 1st inning. In the inning, the Crusaders received extra-base hits from junior center fielder Brian Shelburne (Portsmouth, R.I./Portsmouth H.S.) and sophomore right fielder Adam Farris (Flower Mound, Texas/Liberty Christian H.S.), whom each doubled. Dallas senior David Rettinger (San Antonio, Texas/Central Catholic H.S.) had a single in the inning, as well, and finished the day going a team-high 3-for-5, including scoring two runs and netting as many RBIs.
In the bottom of the 4th inning, with the score knotted 4-4, junior right-handed pitcher Michael Schweiss (Parker, Colo./Chaparral H.S.) entered the game in relief of starting freshman left-hander Dylan Myers (Rosebud, Texas/Rosebud-Lott H.S.). A three-run bottom of the 3rd inning from Austin College ruined Myers' bid to improve his record to 2-1 on the season.
The Crusaders busted open the game -- at least for a little while -- giving Schweiss excellent run support with a five-run 5th inning. Freshman second baseman Mark Carlson (Hawthorn Woods, Ill./Home School) capped Dallas' plethora of scoring in the inning, with a home run to left field, which brought in sophomore designated hitter Nico Caluda (New Orleans, La./Jesuit H.S.).
Carlson's 'big fly' was just one of four on the day for the Crusaders, as Dallas recorded their highest home run total of the season, with Rettinger, sophomore third baseman Trevor Allred (Anchorage, Alaska/South Anchorage H.S.) and senior catcher Delano Ponce (Albuquerque, N.M./Albuquerque Academy) also doing the heavy lifting. Of note, Ponce went 2-for-3 on the day, scoring two runs and two RBIs, while also earning a walk.
When Schweiss exited the game after the 6th inning, Dallas had a 10-4 lead. He allowed only two hits in three innings of work, while striking out three batters.
A pair of sophomore pitchers, in southpaw hurler Chris Schierhorn (Anchorage, Alaska/South Anchorage H.S.) and righty Andrew Laux (Keller, Texas/Keller H.S.) finished the game for head coach Fraser Holmes' squad on the mound. The two were a little shaky, allowing a combined six earned runs on six hits to 16 batters faced. Nonetheless, the Crusader offense helped their cause, giving Schweiss his seventh win of the season, as Dallas wrapped up the final three frames of the nine-inning game by scoring four runs of their own.
Scoring 14 runs on 14 hits, the Crusaders scorched the Austin College pitching in their three-game series on the weekend, holding a 41-to-30 advantage in the hitting department over the Kangaroos.
Next opponent:
Dallas travels to Marshall, Texas, on Tuesday, April 12, to duke it out with East Texas Baptist University, an American Southwest Conference (ASC) member with a current record of 9-21. The two teams will take the field at 6:00 p.m.