Crusaders Fall to Whittier College 9-5 on Sunday Afternoon
WHITTIER, Calif. – The University of Dallas baseball team dropped its third game on the California trip to Whittier College 9-5 on Sunday afternoon. The Crusaders went up 4-1 through four innings, but Whittier used a five-run fifth inning swing all the momentum to the Poets side as they went up 6-4. UD chipped away and added another run in the sixth but hit into two inning-ending double plays with baserunners on the path down the stretch. UD fell victim to six costly errors in the game which led to six unearned runs. Dallas also could not take advantage of 15 hits on the afternoon as both teams stranded seven runs on the day.
(Game Information)
Team Scores: Whittier College (9) | Dallas (5)
Team Records: Whittier College (4-11) | Dallas (8-7)
Pitcher Records: W Dante Mancia (1-3) | L) Ryan Flores (0-2)
Joseph Vondrachek (North St. Paul, Minn.) opened the game with a leadoff double to left center field. Michael Jaquez (Irving, Texas) put Dallas on the board early after his double to right center gave the Crusaders a 1-0 lead. Zachary Taylor (Humble, Texas) singled up the middle which helped scored Jaquez from third base to go up 2-0. UD eventually had runners on the corners, but Whittier made a pitching change and got the last out to hold UD to just two runs. Ryan Flores (San Diego, Calif.) got out a jam as he stranded a runner at third to get out of the first inning.
Mavrick Martinez (Friendswood, Texas) reached on a fielder's choice in the second and advanced second on a balk. Vondrachek pushed him over to third to put runners on the corners with one out. In the next at bat Martinez scored on a wild pitch to give Dallas a 3-0 lead. Flores walked the first batter in the second but set the next three batters in order. After two clean half innings in the third, UD provided some two-out magic in the fourth. Cade Corbett (Corona, Calif.) singled to left field. Martinez then reached first on an error by the left fielder, which allowed Corbett to come all the way around to score (4-0). Whittier pushed a run across in the fourth to make it a 4-1 lead after four innings of play. The Poets limited the Dallas bats in the fifth and took advantage of it in their half.
Jarryd Samsing led off with a bunt single. With two outs, Justin Ryan singled through the right side. Dane Goodman drove in a run with his single to right field. Back-to-back fielding errors led to two more Whittier runs to tie the game up at four. Jared Vuz and Brandon Lara-Mack drove in two more runs with timely hits to give the Poets its first lead of the contest (6-4). Flores got the final batter to line into a double play to get out of the inning. In the top of the sixth, Dallas gained a run back when Nicolas Hovde (Waco, Texas) doubled to left center and later scored on an error by the second baseman. Whittier regained the two-run lead after a balk and a wild pitch helped score Alexander Jelloian and give the Poets a 7-5 lead after six innings.
UD erased any chances in the seventh to put runs on the board as the Crusaders hit into an inning-ending double play. Jaylen Camarillo (Georgetown, Texas) sat the Poets down in order in the bottom half of the seventh. Dallas hit into yet another double play to end the eighth and strand a couple of runners. Whittier tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the eighth to push its lead to 9-5 heading into the pivotal ninth inning. UD gained one baserunner in the ninth, but Whittier got three-straight out after the single to take the game.
Five Crusaders had multiple hits in the game. Jaquez and Taylor picked up an RBI each in the contest. Five different Dallas players each scored a run. UD was unable to draw any walks. Vondrachek, Jaquez, and Hovde all hit a double on the day. Taylor swiped his fourth stolen base on the season. Flores pitched five innings for UD, allowed seven runs (two earned) off of six hits, three walks, but struck out three batters. Camarillo went the final three innings on the mound, giving up two runs (one earned), three hits, and notching three punchouts.
The Poets were led offensively by Justin Ryan who finished with three hits on four trips to the plate, one run scored, and one RBI. Lara-Mack gained two RBI off of his one hit. Vuz picked up the lone extra base hit for Whittier with his double. WC swiped four bases on the day. Mancia picked up the win on the mound with 4.2 innings of work out of the bullpen. Mancia allowed just two runs (one earned) off of four hits and had four strikeouts. Alex Escobar secured the save allowing just one hit in the final frame.
UP NEXT
Dallas will conclude the California trip by taking on No. 3 Chapman University tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. (PST). This contest was moved up a day due to incoming rainfall in Tuesday's forecast.