Softball played DH Fall Ball Games with SAGU on Saturday
IRVING, Texas – The University of Dallas softball team finished out the fall ball portion of its season with a doubleheader against Southwestern Assemblies of God University on Saturday.
Dallas dropped the opener on the day 2-0, as the Lions scored all their runs in the deciding fourth inning. Starting the game with six freshmen on the lineup card, Karina Campo (Georgetown, Texas) pitched the first three innings without allowing a run. She pitched around two hits, walked none, and struck out one.
SAGU was able to start the fourth with Janely Cruz bunting for a hit just in front of home plate. The throw from the catcher went high down the right field line and allowed Cruz to plate the go-ahead run. Casey Waterman followed with a double to deep center and pinch runner Payton Woodall hustled home on a shallow pop out on the edge of the infield dirt.
The Crusaders committed three errors to SAGU's one. Lindsay Devlin (Leander, Texas) allowed the pair of runs (1 earned) in three innings. She scattered two hits and also struck out one. Haley Henson (Chandler, Texas) tossed a scoreless seventh.
Dallas was limited to three hits overall in the game and did not have a runner advance past first until Paige Rasmussen (El Campo, Texas) got there in the home team's final at bat. Joining the freshmen in the hit column were Caitlyn Stevenson (Henderson, Nev.) and Katelyn Lazarek (Seattle, Wash.).
Waterman picked up the win for the Lions in the circle with a complete game shutout. She struck out six and walked one.
In the second contest, the Crusaders competed early and took their first lead of the day with two runs in the third inning. Ashley Nicholson (Reno, Nev.) singled to right and Emily Martin (San Jose, Calif.) walked to reach base with an out in the frame. Carah Delao (League City, Texas) dropped a triple down the left field line to plate the pair in front of her.
The Lions countered in the next half inning with four runs. After being hitless at that point of the game, SAGU struck for four runs and hits to go back in front.
UD answered immediately with two more runs in the home half of the fourth. Julie Duenas (Houston, Texas) doubled to left center to ignite a two-out rally. Tera Espinosa (Caldwell, Texas) went back-to-back on a two-bagger of her own to cut the deficit to 4-3. Madison Coutts (Tampa, Fla.) delivered the game-tying knock on a pinch hit appearance.
Southwestern Assemblies of God broke the deadlock with another four-run inning in the fifth, and would tack on two runs in the seventh to win 10-4. The Lions outhit Dallas 10-5 and did not commit an error. UD made two.
Waterman did damage again with the bat going 3-4 with four RBI. She doubled and smacked a three-run home run as part of her big day. She picked up the win in the circle again, as she tossed 3.1 shutout innings, while fanning seven.
Rasmussen pitched the first three innings in the start. She would return for two more outs after being taken out in the fourth, and still yielded no runs or hits.
Dallas breaks for the rest of the semester, and will gear up for the regular season next year. The team opens the 2019 campaign at home against Hendrix College on February 17.