Crusaders Begin SCAC with Pair of Setbacks at Texas Lutheran
SEGUIN, Texas – The University of Dallas softball team started Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) play with a pair of setbacks at Texas Lutheran University on Friday night. Game one saw the Bulldogs score all their runs in the first two innings en route to a five-inning run-rule. In the second matchup of the series, Dallas allowed an early inside the park home run t Kelly Jurden of TLU. It was a tight game until a pair of runs in the third through fifth innings sealed the shutout for the Bulldogs.
(Game 1 Information) (5 innings)
Team scores: Dallas (1), Texas Lutheran (9)
Team Records: Dallas (3-6, 0-1 SCAC), Texas Lutheran (7-4, 4-1 SCAC)
Pitcher Records: W) Kelsie Stone (4-2), L) Paige Rasmussen (2-3)
The Bulldogs combined for all nine runs in the first two innings of the series opener. This included five after the home team's first turn to bat. Jurden led off the game with a walk. After stealing second, she came home on a throwing error by UD's third baseman. Both errors by Dallas in the contest occurred that frame with the other allowing two unearned runs.
An RBI-double by Mel Savala (Bryan, Texas) accounted for the lone run in the games by the Crusaders. The senior scored Caitlyn Stevenson (Henderson, Nev.), who drew a one-out walk in the inning. Dallas had two runners on that frame but could not narrow the deficit any closer.
Skylar Ouellette had a two-RBI base hit in the next half inning that accounted for half of the runs in that frame. A hit by pitch and RBI-groundout led to the other pair.
TLU registered eight hits but did not have one for extra bases.
Paige Rasmussen (El Campo, Texas) was saddled for the loss in the start. She threw three innings in the start. Her final frame and a scoreless fourth by Emily Martin (San Jose, Calif.) helped the UD pitchers gain the final seven outs in a row, but the damage had already been completed. It was the first appearance this spring by Martin.
Joining Savala in the hit column was Julie Duenas (Houston, Texas) and Rasmussen. Stevenson walked in both of her two plate appearances.
Casey Martin and DeAnna Hernandez notched multiple hit games for TLU. Jurden, Martin, Madisyn Cates, Hernandez, and Alyssa Cantu combined for six stolen bases.
Kelsie Stone earned the win in the circle with 3.1 innings pitched. She allowed a run on two hits with three walks and the games only strikeouts. Lauren Myers allowed a hit before inducing an inning-ending double play. Kassie Maddox had a perfect fifth.
(Game 2 Information)
Team scores: Dallas (0), Texas Lutheran (7)
Team Records: Dallas (3-7, 0-2 SCAC), Texas Lutheran (8-4, 5-1 SCAC)
Pitcher Records: W) Kayla Oliveira (2-2), L) Karina Campo (1-4)
The second contest had the Crusaders down one early due to a leadoff inside the park homer by Jurden to start the TLU first inning. UD starter Karina Campo (Georgetown, Texas) worked around a hit later in the inning and produced a perfect second inning before things slipped away later.
Erica Garcia began the trio of two-run innings in a row with a two-run homer over left field. After two outs, an error gave the Bulldogs Martin before the round-tripper. The Bulldogs got a triple to center by Sarah Metzer that highlighted the scoring in the fourth. She scored the other run that frame on a sacrifice flyout. TLU had two more runs in the fifth to round out the final total.
Dallas meanwhile was held hitless until the fifth when Bri Torres (Cypress, Texas) singled to center. The other was in the seventh by Duenas, who kept her hitting streak alive at 10 games and increased her team-lead for total knocks to 14.
Campo tossed 3.1 innings in the start and gave up five runs (three earned) on six hits. Lindsay Devlin (Leander, Texas) threw in her first collegiate outing with 1.2 innings hurled and gave up two runs on four hits. Maggie Watts (Arcadia, Texas) pitched the last inning and got around a hit and two walks without any runs allowed.
TLU logged 11 hits with the three knocks for extra bases mentioned earlier. Hernandez had a 3-for-4 to lead all hitters, while Jurden, Garcia, and Bianca Cerda contributed two apiece. The Bulldogs once again had six stolen bases as a team with Maddox swiping two. TLU was also perfect on defense with zero errors in the second game of the twinbill.
Kayla Oliveira allowed a single hit and walk through 5.1 innings to go with six strikeouts. Jordaine Bishop finished the remainder of the shutout with a hit and added the seventh strikeout for the home team pitching.
UP NEXT
These teams will conclude the conference series with first pitch of Saturday's doubleheader slated for 12 p.m.