Crusaders Drop Two Games to No. 3 Trinity University to Open SCAC Play
IRVING, Texas - The University of Dallas baseball team dropped a pair of games to No. 3 Trinity University to open up Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) action on Saturday. Dallas hung around with the number three ranked team through six innings in Game 1. UD grabbed a 2-0 lead, but Trinity scored eight runs combined in the sixth and seventh inning to regain momentum. Jessup Scott (Lewiston, Idaho) smacked his first career home run in the ninth, but Dallas was unable to climb out of the deficit.
Trinity put up runs in all but four innings in Game 2, as TU gradually put together a solid lead. Dallas broke up the shutout in the eighth after the team strung together a couple of hits and walks. Both runs that scored came via two balks. Trinity would go onto take both games.
(Game 1 Information)
Team Scores: Trinity (10), Dallas (4)
Team Records: Trinity (13-3), Dallas (10-6)
Pitcher Records: W) Mark Tindall (3-0), L) Conrad Voss (4-2)
The first two innings flew by quickly after pitching shut down the opponent's bats. In the third, Conrad Voss (Corona, Calif.) got out of the inning after surrendering a walk and a stolen base by getting Jake Martin to fly out to left field. In the bottom half the Crusaders loaded up the bases to begin the inning. Jordan Stickler (Grand Rapids, Mich.) then singled to right field to drive in Joseph Griesbauer (Troy, Mo.) Scott then followed that up with an infield fly that fell between two fielders, as Joseph Vondrachek (North St. Paul, Minn.) came into score the Crusaders second run. The Tigers eventually got out of the inning without surrendering any more runs.
Voss shut down the Trinity bats in the fourth and fifth innings, but Dallas was unable to tack on any insurance runs. UD stranded two men in scoring position in the fifth frame. The Tiger bats woke up in the sixth. Mason Meredith drove in the first run for TU with a single to right center. Blake Johnson later reached on a fielder's choice to drive in another run to tie up the ballgame. But Trinity was not done yet. Johnson arrived safely at second base on the failed pickoff attempt, which allowed Meredith to score and help Trinity obtain the lead. Trinity then rolled up a double play on defense to get out of a jam in the bottom of the sixth.
MJ Metz opened up the seventh with a homerun off of the left field foul pole. Back-to-back doubles followed the blast. Rafe Chaumette drove in two runs with a base knock to right field. Trinity would go on to score two more runs off of two wild pitches.
Dallas did not go down easily. Stickler reached base via an error and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Nathan Patton (McKinney, Texas) drove Stickler in with a single to left center, but UD eventually left two men in scoring position to end the inning. Trinity tacked on two more runs in the eighth and would go on to take Game 1.
Mark Tindall and Corey Cater combined to strike out 11 batters. They each gave up two earned runs.
Chaumette led the Tigers with three hits and four RBI. Five different players each scored two runs for Trinity.
Vondrachek led Dallas with three hits in four at bats, while Stickler notched two hits. They each stole one base. Scott drove in 2 RBI to lead the team in that category. Voss pitched six innings giving up six runs. He also fanned three batters. Tyler Montemayor (Boerne, Texas) and William Bresnahan (Windham, N.H.) also saw action on the mound.
(Game 2 Information)
Team Scores: Trinity (9), Dallas (2)
Team Records: Trinity (14-3), Dallas (10-7)
Pitcher Records: W) James Nittoli (5-0), L) Zachary Taylor (3-1)
Game 2 started like Game 1 in the sense that neither team had much of an offensive attack through the first two innings. Jake Martin then came up clutch for Trinity as he blasted a homerun to left center with two outs as TU grabbed the early 1-0 lead. Paul Scioli (Lubbock. Texas) started the Dallas half out with a walk and eventually made it to second base. But he would be stranded there.
Johnson and Metz each drove in runs for Trinity in the fourth to put the Tigers up 3-0 through five innings. Trinity kept things rolling with two more runs in the sixth, seventh, and the eighth. UD finally got a counter attack going in the eighth. Josh Abalos (Lewisville, Texas) walked and Stickler doubled to open up the inning. Abalos and Stickler would both come into score after two balks in the inning. Trinity would go on to take both games on the opening weekend of conference play.
Johnson had three hits and four RBI in the game. Meredith gathered two runs and two hits. John Tucker drew three walks in his outing. James Nittoli pitched seven innings, allowing just two earned runs, while striking out six batters. Carter Fronk came into close the final two innings for the Tigers.
Dallas was held to just four hits in Game 2. Stickler had a double and scored one run. Patton added a double and drew one walk. Abalos drew two walks and had one hit.
Zachary Taylor (Humble, Texas) pitched five innings for Dallas, allowing three runs. Jamie Wallace (Crockett, Texas) and Ryan Flores (San Diego, Calif.) both came in relief for UD.
UP NEXT
Dallas and Trinity will wrap up the series tomorrow (Mar. 17). First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.