Baseball drops non-conference Twinbill against Millikin University
IRVING, Texas – The University of Dallas baseball team concluded its nine-game homestand with a pair of losses to non-conference Millikin University on Wednesday. The Crusaders finished 3-6 over the stretch and will look to bounce back with their next six on the road against conference opponents.
The Big Blue had combined for 32 runs on 47 hits during the first two days of this Texas road swing, and in game one the home team limited them to three runs on nine hits. After a two-run setback in game one, the visitors flexed their bats again for 13 runs on 17 base knocks in the latter matchup.
GAME ONE INFORMATION
Team Scores: Millikin University (3), University Dallas (3) (Final 7 innings)
Team Records: Millikin (8-3), Dallas (7-12)
Pitching Records: W) Williamson (2-0), L) Taylor (0-1) S) Peters (2)
NOTABLE STATISTICS
- Seth Hanson (Apache Junction, Ariz.) smacked a hit to become the first Crusader to reach 20. He also walked.
- Dallas posted four hits, four walks, and eight runners left on base.
- Other UD players etching a base knock were: Nathan Patton (McKinney, Texas), Brice Cell (Keller, Texas), and Josh Abalos (Lewisville, Texas).
- The Crusaders produced three succuessful pickoffs at first.
- Zachary Taylor (Humble, Texas) received his first loss of the campaign. He logged a season-long five innings in his 3rd start. The left-hander worked around nine hits and allowed three runs.
- Kyle Gamez (Burleson, Texas) threw two scoreless innings in relief.
- For Millikin, a trio of players smacked doubles: Jake Drada, Julian Gutierrez, and Hunter Wenstrom.
- Seth Coffey and Devin Crews earned the multiple hit games with two apiece. Crews had just as many RBI.
- Ben Williamson went six innings in the start and allowed a run on four hits. He walked four and struck out one.
HOW IT HAPPENED
All the runs in this contest were recorded within the first two and a half innings of this seven-inning scheduled matchup. The Big Blue took the early lead with Crew singling to third and scored Coffey. Gutierrez had the huge knock the batter prior with a double that dropped just fair along the right field line.
In the bottom of the second, the Crusaders knotted the score with a run. Patton was hit by pitch to start the frame. He was running on the first pitch to Zach San Roman (Miami, Fla.) and his good jump allowed him to reach second safely. San Roman was out on the grounder. Cell singled through the right side to place runners on the corners. Colby Davenport (Crockett, Texas) executed a fantastic bunt up between the first baseman and pitcher. The outfielder was credited the RBI on a sacrifice as Davenport was out with the second sacker covering.
Millikin broke the tied ballgame with two runs in the next chance to bat. Coffey singled down the right field line and stole second on the next batter. Drada traded spots with him on a deep double to right center. After an out, Crew singled through the left side to increase the advantage 3-1.
Dallas added hits in the innings three and four but could not mount anything. In the fifth, the Crusaders left two on despite drawing three free passes. One of those walks was caught stealing for the second out before consecutive walks placed two more on. A fly to left ended the inning. In their final turn to bat, Abalos singled to left center and Millikin's starter was done for the day.
Ben Peters was summoned and he locked down the save with the next three outs in a row. Two of them came via swinging strikeouts.
GAME TWO INFORMATION
Team Scores: Millikin University (13), University of Dallas (0)
Team Records: Millikin (9-3), Dallas (7-13)
Pitching Records: W) Talkington (2-0), L) Palmer (0-3)
NOTABLE STATISTICS
- For the second time that day, UD posted identical results in hits (4), walks (4), and runners left on (8).
- Hanson contributed one of the hits and finishes the homestand hitting a .356 batting average. He amassed eight of them over home stretch. The sophomore also walked twice.
- Both players to defend in center field, Jordan Stickler (Grand Rapids, Mich.) and Enrique Vigil (San Antonio, Texas) had the other walks.
- JP Fasone (Englewood, Colo.), Peterson, and Paul Scioli (Lubbock, Texas) accounted for the other knocks.
- Blake Palmer (Coppell, Texas) started and went 3.1 innings with five runs allowed on six hits in the setback. He walked three and struck out two.
- Davenport made his first appearance this season on the mound and tossed two scoreless innings. Nick Goehring (Phoenix, Ariz.) and Austin Offutt (Frisco, Texas) each added one perfect frame with a strikeout apiece thrown.
- Gutierrez led the run production with four ribbies. He and Adam Peters hit the lone extra base hits for doubles. Mason Bruce, Clayton Welker, and Anthony Bryan each chipped in two runs batted in.
- Logan Talkington started 6.1 innings and allowed all four hits. He walked three and struck out all five from the Big Blue staff in the three-pitcher shutout.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Millikin tallied a run on the board in the second behind three hits and an error. With the bases loaded Jake Stanton singled to right field and picked up an RBI by scoring Crews. However, the Dallas defense notched two outs as Bobby Neylon ran to third with Andrew Huss having held up. Neylon would be out trying to return to second and then Abalos had enough time to throw Huss out trying to score a second run.
Unfortunately the Big Blue bats had enough life to recover that potential run and more. In the fourth and fifth innings, the guests accumulated nine runs over the span with four in the first frame.
Palmer got Huss to fly out to center but then the next four guys reached. Back-to-back singles from Bryan and Bruce ended Palmers' day for William Bresnahan (Windham, N.H.) Millikin greeted him with two more singles in a row complete the stretch of four straight knocks. Gutierrez ended that run by grounding out but had another RBI to make it a 5-0 lead.
In the fifth, the Big Blue widened the gap with five runs on five hits. A leadoff walk followed with four hits in a row and two ribbies. Gutierrez cracked a bases-clearing double over the right fielder's head to reflect an inning the advantage doubled.
Dallas was unable to get a run and finished the past four games (32 innings) with two overall.
UP NEXT
Dallas makes its first Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) road trip of the season at Austin College. Saturday will be a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. and Sunday's will be a single matchup with first pitch at the same time.