Baseball edged in Series Finale against Blackburn
IRVING, Texas – The University of Dallas baseball team was unable to snag its second three-game sweep in as many chances at home, after falling the first time there on Monday in a 10-6 result to Blackburn College.
The Crusaders reclaimed a 4-2 lead after scoring three runs in the 3rd inning, but a pair of 4-run innings propelled Blackburn College back on top the rest of the contest. Michael McDermand had the game-changing hit that lifted the Beavers up 6-5 in the 5th on a home run.
(Game Information)
Team Scores: Blackburn (10), Dallas (6)
Team Records: Blackburn (2-8), Dallas (7-9)
Pitcher Records: W) Durand (1-2), L) A. Griesbauer (1-2)
Jessup Scott (Lewiston, Idaho) singled through the right side to start the Crusaders 2nd inning off. A balk advanced him to second and then a pair of wild pitches brought him home with two outs to get the home side on top first. Scott was able to cross home on ball four to Seth Hanson (Apache Junction, Ariz.).
Blackburn took advantage of three walks, a hit by pitch, and bunted infield single that helped make it a 2-1 lead through two and a half innings. Andrew Magness (San Antonio, Texas) was able to escape further trouble with the bases loaded. The freshman lefty got a strikeout and double play.
After allowing two in the top of the 3rd, Dallas responded with a three-spot to flip the lead again in its next turn to bat. Jordan Stickler (Grand Rapids, Mich.) – who reached base a 47th straight game since last spring – would start the inning with a walk. With two in scoring position, Nathan Patton (McKinney, Texas) singled to shortstop for the first RBI. Mark Peterson (Cincinnati, Ohio) followed with a grounder that had Josh Abalos (Lewisville, Texas) coming home on, but another error that inning allowed Peterson to reach. Scott dropped down a sacrifice bunt that plated Patton.
There were five errors in the game by the Beavers, and one of those aided another UD run in the home 4th on Hanson being allowed to score.
The Crusaders committed three defensive miscues, with two coming in the 5th, which changed the momentum to the visitors. Four-of-five runs were unearned for UD pitching. Leading 5-3, a big double play was made to get the Crusaders back in a favorable spot. Ry Clark ripped a single to right field that scored Shane Lewis, who had been on third to make it a one-run deficit. Then McDermand smacked a deep fly ball over the wall to the right of the tallest part of it for the go-ahead, two-run blast.
Another four-run inning followed to extend the advantage for Blackburn.
Hanson got a run back for Dallas in the 8th with his second dinger of the series and third overall. The second baseman also reached base two times via a walk.
Patton led the Crusaders with two hits. Michael Ilardi (Atascocita, Texas) and Zachary Taylor (Humble, Texas) each recorded a double. Taylor started on the mound for Dallas and threw one inning.
Nick Goehring (Phoenix, Ariz.) produced four shutout innings of relief with two hits allowed on no walks. He fanned four batters, which contributed to the team's six overall. Abraham Griesbauer (Troy, Mo.) allowed eight runs (4 earned) on six hits and a walk.
Nate Bassett, McDermand, and Brandon Smith notched two-hit games for Blackburn. Smith tripled, and Brady Wilkinson added a two-bagger.
Tyler Durand won the outing with six innings completed. He scattered four hits, while allowing five runs (2 earned) on three walks and five strikeouts.
UP NEXT
Dallas turns its attention to the first Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) series with No. 8 Centenary College on March 17th-18th. A doubleheader at 12 p.m. will start the weekend off, with a single game at 1 p.m. on that Sunday.