Crusaders Split Double-Header with Austin
IRVING, Texas - The University of Dallas softball team split their double-header against Austin College on Sunday. They drop the series to start conference play 0-3, and fall to 5-10 on the year.
GAME 1 - Dallas 5, Austin 6
WP: AD Smith (2-2)
LP: SunnyDale Thies (2-3)
The first four innings of game one flew by in a flash, as a good old fashioned pitcher's duel was unfolding. SunnyDale Thies was nearly spotless through four innings, holding the Roos hitless and allowing just three baserunners.
Daniel Rosario came up with a couple of stellar plays in the early innings to prevent the Roos from gaining what little momentum they could. In the first, she made a diving grab to snare a popped up bunt and doubled off the runner at first for an inning-ending double-play. She ended the next inning as well, throwing out Hailie Swiatkowski trying to steal second.
Austin seemingly cracked her code in the fifth, breaking the deadlock with an RBI single and loading the bases with one out. But Thies worked her way out of the jam, stranding all three runners to hold the Roos to one run in the inning. Abby Lasley tied it up with a bases-loaded, two-out RBI single in the bottom half of the inning. Mariah Hinojosa would have likely cleared the bases had her laser beam not hit the Roos' first baseman right in the glove for the third out of the inning.
The Roos put up five runs on four hits in the sixth to take a 6-1 lead; Maddy Murphy brought home a run on a single in the bottom of the inning to make it 6-2 going into the seventh. Isabella Garza came in to relieve Thies, and after walking her first batter retired the next three in order for a scoreless frame.
The Crusaders had a two-out rally going in the bottom of the seventh, plating two runs on back-to-back singles, but couldn't complete the comeback as the Roos held on for the win.
Murphy and Katie Duffy-Relf each had two hits in the game, Duffy-Relf also with a pair of RBI to her name.
GAME 2 - Dallas 10, Austin 4
WP: Isabella Garza (1-3)
LP: Brooklynn Cook (0-2)
Both teams came out ready to hit in game two. Three striaght two-out hits put the Roos on top 3-0 in the first inning, but Dallas replied in kind with five runs on four hits in the bottom of the inning. Faith Martin put the Crusaders on top with a two-out, two RBI double.
Caitlynn Freyman and Isabella Garza combined to hold Austin scoreless over the next five innings. Meanwhile, Dallas added three runs in the second and two in the third to take a comfortable 10-3 lead. They easily could have had more on top of that, but they loaded the bases with one out and left them loaded in the third.
Austin pulled a consolation run back in the seventh, but the Crusaders won easily 10-4.
Abby Lasley and Mariah Hinojosa were both 3-for-4 in the game; Lasley swiped a bag, and Hinojosa swiped a pair as well. sara Hey was 2-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base, and Martin led the team with three RBI in the game.
Garza allowed one run on four hits in four innings of relief to pick up her first win of the season.
Up Next
The Crusaders are on the road for their next conference series. They will play three games with Centenary, starting with a 1:00 p.m. double-header on Saturday, March 25.