Crusaders Split Doubleheader with Austin College on Saturday
SHERMAN, Texas - The University of Dallas baseball team split its doubleheader with Austin College on Saturday. Dallas took game one 14-6 after the team notched 12 RBI off of 13 hits. Conrad Voss (Corona, Calif.) picked up his conference-leading eighth win in the game, which is the most wins for a UD pitcher in a single season since 2012.
Game Two involved an offensive showdown for both sides. 20 combined runs were scored in the first three innings, while just three runs were scored the rest of the way. The 'Roos eventually came away with the 12-11 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) victory in walk-off fashion.
(Game 1 Information)
Team Scores: Dallas (14) Austin College (6)
Team Records: Dallas (17-20, 4-12 SCAC), Austin College (7-24, 3-13 SCAC)
Pitcher Records: W) Conrad Voss (8-4), L) Cody Johnson (1-2)
Both teams were held scoreless through the first two innings. Joseph Vondrachek (North St. Paul, Minn.) started a two-out rally in the third inning with a double to left field. Jordan Stickler (Grand Rapids, Mich.) then singled through the left side to bring around Vondrachek to score the first run of the game. Stickler stole second, but Austin College stopped the rally there. Voss put the 'Roos down 1-2-3 in their half of the third.
Dallas gathered two walks to open the fourth frame. Luke Boylson (Fairview, Texas) doubled to left center to drive in two runs. Boylson later advanced to third on a wild pitch. Michael Jaquez (Irving, Texas) doubled down the right field line to score Boylson and put UD up 4-0. AC loaded up the bases in their half, but Voss got out of it by rolling up a double play to end the inning.
Stickler walked and stole second base to lead off the fifth. Josh Abalos (Lewisville, Texas) reached base on a bunt single and later stole second. Nathan Patton (McKinney, Texas) pushed across another run with a sacrifice fly to left field. Abalos eventually would steal third. Paul Scioli (Lubbock, Texas) notched an RBI with a bunt single to bring in Abalos. Jaquez then smacked another double and drove in two more runs. Dallas was not done yet, as Vondracheck singled to center field to allow Jaquez to score. UD would go up 10-0. The 'Roos broke their scoreless streak in the fifth when Oscar Gonzalez drove in a run with one out.
AC kept Dallas off the board in the sixth and built a big inning themselves. The 'Roos scored three runs off of three hits, along with one UD error to cut into the big Dallas lead. UD had two men in scoring position in the seventh inning but was unable to convert. Ryan Flores (San Diego, Calif.) came in relief out of the bullpen and shut down the AC bats in order. Scioli drove in another run on the afternoon in the Dallas eighth to push the UD lead to 11-4. AC did not let up as they scored two more runs in their half.
Patton then put the game away when his single helped score three runs in the ninth. UD would go on to grab its fourth conference win on the season.
Vondrachek was 3-4 at the plate with two runs scored and one RBI. Jaquez, Boylson, Scioli, and Abalos all notched two hits each in the game. Patton and Jaquez both drove in three runs. Dallas had four doubles. Abalos and Stickler both secured two stolen bases. Voss went six innings, giving up five hits, four runs, while striking out four men.
Flores gathered the save for Dallas as he pitched three innings, gave up just two hits, and one earned run. Flores fanned three batters.
Brett Taff had the only multiple hit game (2) for Austin College. Michael Winterrowd scored two runs. AC used three pitchers in the game.
UD now has six saves on the year, which is the most in a single season since 2012. With this win (17), the Crusaders now have their most wins since 2014.
(Game 2 Information)
Team Scores: Austin College (12) Austin College (11)
Team Records: Austin College (8-24, 4-13 SCAC), Dallas (17-21, 4-13 SCAC)
Pitcher Records: W) Ryan Culp (4-1), L) Tyler Montemayor (0-5)
Patton blasted his third homerun of the season with two outs in the opening frame. UD kept the line moving with a walk by Mark Peterson (Cincinnati, Ohio) and a single from Boylson. Jaquez continued his hot bat at the plate with a single to plate one run. Boylson then came into score on a failed pickoff attempt to put Dallas up 3-0 early. Nathan Flynn put the 'Roos on the board with a homerun to left field in their half.
Scioli began the second inning with a blast over the left field wall for his first homerun on the campaign. Abalos later allowed Vondrachek to score with a sacrifice fly deep enough to the shortstop. AC then found its first lead on the day after putting a five-spot on the board in the second inning. Taff had the biggest impact with a two RBI double.
That lead did not hold after Dallas put up five runs of their own in the third off of two hits and two errors. Stickler stole second, third, and home in this inning. The scoring rout for both teams continued after the 'Roos grabbed four more runs in their half. The game was tied at 10 after three innings. Dallas challenged again in the fourth frame putting two men in scoring position, but AC got out of the jam. Dallas pitching settled down as they sat down the AC bats in order in the fourth and fifth.
Justin Alphonse reached on a fielder's choice in the sixth inning, which allowed a run to score with the bases loaded to break the tie. Dallas stopped the damage getting two big outs. In the final inning Dallas tied the game with a two-out single up the middle from Vondrachek. The Crusaders got the first two outs in the bottom half, including a throw out at home to keep the game tied. With one run on base, Gonzalez doubled down the left field line to help score the winning run for the 'Roos.
Jaquez had three hits with five trips to the plate and one RBI. Abalos drove in two runs. Vondrachek had two hits and scored three runs, while Scioli and Boylson both scored twice. Dallas swiped a season-high nine bases in the competition.
Taff and Winterrowd both had three hits to lead AC. Nick Flynn scored three runs and had two hits. Culp pitched the final six innings for the 'Roos, only allowing two hits and one run. Culp struck out five men.
Stickler had six steals on the day, including a season-high four in game two, which places him second all-time in UD history in stolen bases (79).
Abalos also is climbing up the UD record book in steals. With four on the day, he now sits 4th all-time with 59 total.
UP NEXT
Dallas and Austin College will play the rubber match tomorrow. First pitch is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.