Softball holds composure to finish Southwestern off in a split
GEORGETOWN, Texas – The University of Dallas softball team (16-10, 9-5 SCAC) earned a split on Sunday and evened the four-game series at Southwestern University (14-12, 10-2 SCAC). Dallas fell in the early contest 6-3, and rebounded with a 5-3 edge in the finale.
In the triumph, the Lady Crusaders and Southwestern traded runs in the first inning. After the Pirates took its only lead of the affair in the next bottom half, UD countered with a pair in its half of the third and fourth.
Both squads eclipsed double figures in the hits category, with the home squad holding a 13-11 edge. The Pirates did strand 14 runners on base in the setback.
Senior Taylor Garcia (Plugerville, Texas) had a tremendous outing in the latter one of the twinbill, boasting a perfect three-for-three at the plate. The catcher blasted a go-ahead double, her second on the day, to drive home sophomore Lyda Tesauro (Hollywood, Fla.). Garcia matched her career-high 30th RBI with the knock.
Prior to the two-bagger, Tesauro stole second, and freshman Madison Goforth (Tyler, Texas) scampered across the dish to knot the game 2-all.
Dallas produced two key insurance runs in the fourth frame, with Garcia shattering her previous RBI mark set in 2013 with two tallied on a single. SU would answer with a run in the bottom part of the fourth, but could not get the key smack to overcome the margin.
Sophomore Katie Lee (Houston, Texas) danced around trouble all day as she hauled 30 innings over the entire weekend. In this appearance, Lee completed the seven frames, allowing three runs (two earned) while walking three to match that number of strikeouts.
Offensively, the Navy and White had a trio of players behind Garcia rip two apiece. Within the unit were: junior Erin Begle, Goforth, and Tesauro. Goforth also notched a double, and sophomore Allison Kotlar (Edna, Texas) garnered her third-straight game with a hit.
For the Pirates, Michele Ramos and Stacy Rosengren combined for six hits in nine at-bats with three each. Rosengren clinched the only home team's RBI. Sydney Oorlog and Taylor Curtis completed the multi-hit performances with a pair.
Cozette Palmer logged 5.2 innings while allowing three runs on five hits to go with two walks and a punch out.
In the noon contest, the Lady Crusaders were unable to provide much offense until the later stages of the matchup. The first base knock for UD was by freshman Eliah Davila (Abilene, Texas) in the third inning.
The visitors were outhit 11-5 in this one. Southwestern scored early in the first inning and would build on its lead in the fourth after the Navy and White nipped things in the top half. Begle hit a sacrifice fly to score Tesauro, who doubled for one of three extra base hits on the game for the guests.
Senior Ashley Pickert (Lenexa, Kan.) provided the other double and Kotlar's two-run homer also were big hits that went from multiple bases.
SU retook the lead for good on a single from Ally Holland up the middle to drive in a pair. A trio of hits and two Dallas miscues helped provide a three-run fifth to secure the home squad's largest advantage of the weekend; 6-1.
The Lady Crusaders moved the margin in half as Kotlar clobbered her first long ball of the campaign, and finished with a team-high two RBI. The outfielder now has blasted two home runs in her career, as her first one was in 2014 at Austin College on Apr. 19.
Getting the decision for Dallas was Lee (14-7), who gave up six runs on 11 hits, while walking a pair. Palmer grabbed the win with a complete, seven-inning game effort. She surrendered three runs on five hits to go with two walks and strikeouts.
Marissa Irvin was perfect in the box with a trio of hits and an RBI. Holland contributed two runs batted in, and Oorlog came around to score twice with two hits. Curtis finished out the group of Pirates with multiple hits.
Dallas sits in third place in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) standings after splitting with the Pirates, who won nine-straight coming into the weekend. Southwestern is in second with a 10-2 league record.
On Saturday, the Lady Crusaders eclipsed the conference win total in the program's history since joining four years ago.
NEXT OPPONENT
Dallas travels to first place, and undefeated Texas Lutheran University next weekend on Apr. 3-4.