Watts Pitches 2-0 Shutout; Crusaders Split at Howard Payne
BROWNWOOD, Texas – The University of Dallas softball team split its doubleheader at Howard Payne University on Saturday afternoon. Winnings its first three games of a season for the first time since 2008 and just the second time in program history, the Crusaders used a 2-0 shutout by Maggie Watts (Arcadia, La.) to prevail in the first contest. Annabel Anderson (Midlothian, Texas) homered in game two to give UD an early lead but the Yellow Jackets had the final push in a back-and-forth game to salvage the split.
(Game 1 Information)
Team Scores: Dallas (2), Howard Payne (0)
Team Records: Dallas (3-0), Howard Payne (2-1)
Pitcher Records: W) Watts (2-0), L) Campos (1-1)
Dallas got the only runs of the game in its first turn to bat. An error and hit by pitch got the first two Crusaders on base. Julie Duenas (Houston, Texas) reached on an error to load the bases. With one out on a batter later, Liz Cordova (Oklahoma City, Okla.) reached on the team's third error of the frame to score Kerstyn McLain (Splendora, Texas). Mackenzie Tano (Wylie, Texas) dropped down a sacrifice bunt to score the other run and notched the lone RBI in the box score.
That was all Watts required to throw a complete game shutout. She worked around six hits and a walk, while striking out two.
The Yellow Jackets threatened in the third with two hits but batters interference and double play kept things at 2-0. Other than that and the first inning, the home team did not have a runner in scoring position in the game. HPU did not have a runner reach past second in the entire contest.
Tonya Thompson went 2-for-2 with a walk to lead Howard Payne offensively. She was caught stealing for the only baserunning play by either side. Tia Campos was saddled with a hard loss as she allowed two unearned runs on four hits. She fanned seven in seven innings. The Yellow Jackets committed four errors, while Dallas had none.
The Crusaders only had four hits, with Anderson ripping a double. Dallas left eight runners on.
The last time UD had a shutout was March 17-18, 2018, at Austin College. Watts has been part of three for her career, which all came in that four-game series. She was credited the win in the whole trio of outings, which included two starts. However this is her first seven-inning, complete game shutout of her career.
SOCIAL MEDIA
#UDCRUSADERS WIN! Defeat Howard Payne 2-0 in Game 1! #WeAreUD #d3sb #UDallas #UDSoftball pic.twitter.com/7EFOsY8c0e
— UDallas Athletics (@UDallasSports) February 15, 2020
(Game 2 Information)
Team Scores: Dallas (6), Howard Payne (9)
Team Records: Dallas (3-1), Howard Payne (3-1)
Pitcher Records: W) Morales (2-0), L) Devlin (0-1)
UD gained a fast lead again with three runs to start things this time after Anderson went yard for her first of her career. It was the first home run by a Dallas player and was a three-run blast to give the guests an edge.
Howard Payne tallied the next six runs over five innings to get ahead. Hill Kayla singled to right field and scored Aurora Luera to break the shutout bid. HPU knotted the board with two in the third; Kayla singling to right again for the second RBI personally and for the home side. A sacrifice fly by Kayla Anderson made it 3-3.Anderson was big on the next scoring play, as she cranked a double for Howard Payne's only hit for extra bases in the fifth for the go-ahead run. The Yellow Jackets counted two more runs in the fifth to go up by three.
Dallas responded with a three-spot right away its next trip. McLain grounded out to drive in Bonnie Swinnea (Kosse, Texas). Duenas fell behind in the count, but clobbered a two-strike pitch to right field that plated a pair of runs in Watts and Bri Hale (Austin, Texas) to even the score at six.
The Yellow Jackets went up for good with three runs in the home half of the sixth. Thanks to five hits, the home team got four consecutive singles to take the lead on a ball off the bat of Alexis Sullivan. Back-to-back walks got the second run in, and then another single up the middle by Tori Muro finished things.
A hit and error gave the Crusaders two runners reaching in the seventh, but a double play erased the leadoff batter reaching.
Anderson went 2-for-3 with three RBI. Duenas added two runs batted in and scored a run. Tano collected UD's other multi-hit game. Batters two through seven in the lineup recorded one of the team's eight hits.
HPU posted 11 hits led by Sullivan's three in four at bats. She scored three runs. Hitters two, three, and four combined for seven runs scored.
Emily Martin (San Jose, Calif.) took the start and hurled 4.1 innings, allowing five runs (four earned) on five hits and five walks. She struck out three. Lindsay Devlin (Leander, Texas) got the loss with the last 1.2 innings. She gave up four runs on six hits, walked three and struck out one.
A trio of pitchers took the ball for the Yellow Jackets. Olivia Rivera threw the first three innings, posting a final line of four hits, three runs (two earned), two walks, and four strikeouts. Zalayna Perez went 2.2 innings and was also charged three runs with two of them earned. She walked three and gave up three hits. Hannah Morales recorded the final four outs and earned her second win this season.
UP NEXT
Dallas is home tomorrow to play Hendrix College starting at 12 p.m.