Crusaders Fall to No. 3 Trinity in Series Finale
IRVING, Texas - The University of Dallas baseball team fell to No. 3 Trinity University on Sunday in the series finale. Dallas hung with the Tigers until the very end. UD was only down by one run heading into the pivotal ninth inning, but TU used a four-run ninth to take the three-game sweep.
(Game Information)
Team Scores: Trinity (10), Dallas (5)
Team Records: Trinity (14-3), Dallas (10-8)
Pitcher Records: W) Branden Hance (1-0), L) Andrew Magness (0-1)
Andrew Magness (San Antonio, Texas) got the nod to start Game 3 of the series, but he got into a jam in the opening frame. Trinity loaded up the bases with two walks and a fielding error. Magness fought through it and got three straight outs to keep the Tigers off the board. Jordan Stickler (Grand Rapids, Mich.) got the Dallas half started off with a walk and a stolen base. He later advanced to third. Nathan Patton (McKinney, Texas) then walked. Luke Boylson (Fairview, Texas) hit a slow chopper to the shortstop to allow Stickler to come in and score the first run of the game.
Mark Peterson (Cincinnati, Ohio) led off the second inning for Dallas, UD was unable to string any more hits in the frame. Logan Morrison put Trinity on the board after he hit a leadoff homerun over the left field fence. With two men on base in the fourth, Brian Cardone tripled down the right field line to score both runners as he gave Trinity its first lead on the day. Dallas countered back in the bottom half after Josh Abalos (Lewisville, Texas) drove in Paul Scioli (Lubbock, Texas) with a base knock to the shortstop. Dallas was within one run after four innings (3-2).
Jake Martin led off the fifth inning with a blast to left field. Trinity took advantage of a walk and a balk in the sixth, as they found a runner in scoring position with nobody out. John Tucker advanced Blake Johnson to third with a fly out. Jack Wisniewski hit a fly ball deep enough to allow him to score in the next at bat, as TU went up 5-2. Dallas was held in check in the sixth after they left two men on base.
In the seventh, Tyler Montemayor (Boerne, Texas) came in relief for Dallas. Trinity loaded up the bases with one out on the board. Michael Goodrich drove in one run with a sacrifice fly to right field, but Montemayor got out of the jam after he picked off Mason Meredith at first.
Dallas then started a rally in their half when Stickler walked and advanced a base with a wild pitch. Jessup Scott (Lewiston, Idaho) then walked. Patton loaded up the bases with a single to center field. All runners advanced a base on a wild pitch. Scioli singled and drove in Scott, but Trinity pitching got out of the jam to end the Dallas rally. Montemayor then shut the Trinity bats down one-two-three in the eighth. Abalos singled and made his way to second off a failed pickoff attempt. Scott hit a clutch two-out single to left center in the gap to allow Abalos to score and get UD within one run heading into the ninth (6-5).
Trinity scored four runs in the ninth to shift the momentum back to their bench. Morrison, Rafe Chaumette, and Michael Goodrich all drove in runs. Dallas grabbed two walks in the ninth, but nothing came of it.
Morrison led the Tigers with three hits, three runs scored, and a homerun. Jake Martin gathered two hits and two runs scored with one RBI. Chaumette had two hits in three at bats, while scoring a run. Goodrich finished with three RBI. Ian Hussian went four innings on the mound, gave up five hits, and two earned runs. Branden Hance pitched 1.2 innings, giving up no runs off of one hit. Jeff Lonnecker finished the final 3.1 innings. He gave up three runs and four hits, but also struck out three batters.
Peterson went 3-4 at the plate with a walk. Abalos and Scioli both had two hits and a RBI each. Scott added two hits, RBI, and a walk. Patton and Stickler both drew a walk and swiped one base each.
Magness pitched six innings for Dallas, giving up five hits and five earned runs. Magness also struck out three batters. Montemayor pitched three innings, allowing five hits and five runs.
UP NEXT
Dallas will finish out the home stretch by hosting Howard Payne University on Tuesday for a non-conference doubleheader. First pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.