Baseball unable to shake YellowJackets in Doubleheader
BROWNWOOD, Texas – The University of Dallas baseball team (4-11) dropped two seven inning contests at Howard Payne University (8-6) on Tuesday. Dallas is 0-5 on the current nine game road trip, and looks to end its streak of nine setbacks tomorrow at LeTourneau University.
In game one, UD scored twice in the second and third inning, but a five-run third unraveled the visitors and led to a 6-2 final eventually. Both programs matched each other for five hits, and HPU committed three errors compared to none by the Crusaders.
The scoring got started in the top of the second, with freshman Patch Healy knocking a single to center field. A fielder's choice sandwiched between two walks set the stage for senior Hunter Berry (Keller, Texas) with the bases loaded. The second baseman notched his first RBI this season with a hit to lift Dallas to a 1-0 edge.
A whole frame later, Healy would be involved again with a sacrifice flyout that brought in junior Rene Vargas Jr. (San Antonio, Texas) to complete the run production for Dallas.
Senior Luciano Villanueva (San Antonio, Texas) led the Navy and White with the only multi-hit game, reflecting a .500 (2-for-4) clip. The designated hitter, who was named to D3baseball.com Team of the Week earlier today has hit safely in five of the last six before the nightcap affair. He is batting .375 on the road trip.
Getting the start for UD was senior Martin Cronin (The Woodlands, Texas), who allowed no runs on a hit in two innings. He allowed no walks and struck out three.
Sophomore Avery Arnold (McKinney, Texas) would come in relief during the third and kept things 2-0 through that point. Arnold (0-1) would run into trouble with a difficult fourth, as he surrendered five runs on a hit. Control issues assisted the YellowJackets, as two runners reached on free passes, and another pair got on via hit by pitch results.
Sophomore Blake Palmer (Coppell, Texas) cleaned the jam up, and would throw the final 2.2 innings with four punch outs and three hits.
Chad Anders was credited with the winning decision coming out of the bullpen for the final four innings. He didn't allow a run on two hits as he followed HPU's starter, Dustin Kelver.
None of the Crusaders struck out in the contest.
Micah Thompson was one of five players for the home squad to notch a base knock and provided a team-high, two RBI. Matthew Daniel and Thompson each bashed a double in the triumph.
In the nightcap, Dallas fell behind 5-0 through the first six outs for the YellowJackets. Howard Payne enjoyed a two-run first, and would tack on three more in the second frame to open an early lead on the road team.
The Navy and White nipped the margin to three in the fourth, as Healy doubled down the left field line to score senior Trevor Keele (Edgewood, Texas). Two batters later, senior Nolan Kipp (Folsom, Calif.) lifted a sacrifice fly to plate sophomore Alex Stack (Keller, Texas).
Stack led the Crusaders' offense with two hits in three at bats while matching a run batted in with a run scored. Making his second start of the campaign, junior Jake Pierce (Tucson, Ariz.) claimed the other multi-hit performance with a two-for-three day in the box.
Keele was the other extra base hit for UD with a two-bagger and rounded out the quartet of players on the Navy and White with RBI.
Making his first start since the season-opener was junior Denton Martin (Denton, Texas). The opening weeks SCAC Pitcher-of-the-Week (1-1) allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits in one inning. Martin struck out one.
Five other arms toed the rubber throughout the latter game for the Crusaders. Junior Brian Donley (Chicago, Ill.) logged 1.2 innings of scoreless baseball with no hits given up. He walked one, which Dallas combined for 10 free passes overall, and fanned two.
Tyler Colburn picked the win up for Howard Payne, going three innings of two-run baseball, with two hits, a walk, and a punch out garnered.
A trio of hitters led HPU with two hits apiece including Cody Brown, Connor Roberts, and Thompson. Dallas committed four errors in this contest.
NEXT OPPONENT
Dallas keeps the road trip moving to Longview, Texas, on Wednesday for a makeup contest two weeks ago. LeTourneau hosts the Crusaders with a 7 p.m. first pitch.