Crusaders Drop Two Tight Games with Howard Payne
February 21, 2024
IRVING, Texas - The University of Dallas softball team lost both games of their double-header against Howard Payne University on Wednesday, falling to 0-6 on the season.
Game 1
Dallas 2, Howard Payne 4
WP: Bree Cason (1-1)
LP: SunnyDale Thies (0-2)
After a scoreless first, Dallas got on the board first with back-to-back singles by Amarisa Garza and Kailey Sweezey. Another single by MacKenzie Flocke put runners on first and second with one out, but the threat ended there for Dallas.
The Yellow Jackets scored two runs with two outs in the third, one of them on a throwing error, to take a 2-1 lead, but the Crusaders answered right back in the bottom half of the inning, scoring once again on back-to-back singles to make it a 2-2 game.
The Yellow Jackets smacked three straight hits to load the bases with two outs in the top of the fourth, but SunnyDale Thies got out of the jam to keep the game tied.
Howard Payne broke the deadlock in the sixth, stringing together three straight hits with two outs to plate two runs. Dallas got runners on first and second with one out in the bottom half of the inning, but couldn't come up with the timely hit to bring them in. A scoreless seventh gave the Yellow Jackets the win.
Game 2
Dallas 3, Howard Payne 5
WP: Kayla Camacho (1-1)
LP: Ava Trevino (0-3)
SV: Bree Cason (1)
Howard Payne struck first in the top of the second; a single and an errant throw by the left fielder let Kamryn Camacho come around from second base to score.
They tacked on three more runs on four hits in the top of the fourth, three of their hits and all of their runs coming with two outs.
After struggling to get anything going for five innings, Dallas finally got something started in the sixth. With a pair of walks to start the inning, Garza drove in the Crusaders first run with an RBI single. MacKenzie Flocke came up big with two outs, shooting the ball down the left field line to bring in two more runs with a double. The Yellow Jackets added an insurance run in the top of the seventh to make it a 5-3 game.
The Crusaders got runners on first and second with no outs in the bottom of the seventh, but again were left searching for the timely hit they needed. Garza looked as if she had an RBI double, if not more, with a deep fly ball to right field, but the wind was blowing in and the right fielder managed to chase it down for the final out of the game.
Up Next
The Crusaders host Sterling College on Saturday, Feb. 24. First pitch of game one is scheduled for 11:00 am.