SHERMAN, Texas – The Austin College baseball team split its doubleheader with the University of Dallas on Saturday, falling 14-6 in game one before Oscar Gonzalez made his Senior Day a memorable one, ripping a walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth to give the 'Roos a 12-11 win in game two. The 'Roos are now 8-24 overall and 4-13 in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play.
In game one, neither team was able to get on the board in the first two frames, with Dallas breaking through with a run in the third. Three more runs came across for the Crusaders in the fourth, and Dallas would explode for six runs in the fifth to take a commanding 10-0 lead. Austin College pushed a run across in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI single from Gonzalez, and Clay Gilbert, Michael Winterrowd, and Jake Webster all drove in runs in the sixth to cut it to a 10-4 game.
Dallas got one run back in the eighth, but Nick Flynn homered and Winterrowd would later come around to score on a pair of errors to make it 11-6 heading into the ninth. However, that's as close as the 'Roos would get, with the Crusaders plating three runs in the final inning to make it a 14-6 final.
Cody Johnson took the loss for Austin College, surrendering seven runs on five hits with three walks in 4.1 innings of work. Brett Taff paced Austin College at the dish, going 2-for-4 in the game.
Dallas jumped on top 3-0 after their first time at the plate in game two, but Flynn homered in the bottom of the first to make it 3-1. The Crusaders scored twice in the second to make it 5-1, but Austin College answered with five runs in the bottom half of the inning to grab a 6-5 lead. Bennett Reagan got things started with an RBI single, Gonzalez followed with a run-scoring base hit of his own, and Jake Webster scored on a wild pitch. That set up a double by Taff, plating two more runs to put the 'Roos ahead.
However, the lead would be short-lived, with Dallas scoring five runs of their own in the third to make it a 10-6 game. Once again, Austin College had a response, with Justin Alphonse homering to left to kick-start a four-run inning that evened things up at 10. Austin College went back on top in the sixth when Alphonse drove in a run on a fielder's choice, and the score remained 11-10 heading into the ninth.
Austin College quickly got two outs in the top of the ninth, but Dallas would manage to get the tying run across heading to the bottom half of the inning. After Webster reached second, Gonzalez found himself facing a full count with two outs when he delivered a double to left, scoring Webster and giving the 'Roos the victory.
Ryan Culp earned the win in relief, giving up one run on just two hits with five strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work. Taff and Winterrowd each finished 3-for-5, while Gonozalez went 2-for-5 with two RBI. Flynn and Webster each went 2-for-3, and Alphonse added a 2-for-4 performance.
Austin College closes out the 2019 season tomorrow, when they host Dallas for the series finale with first pitch scheduled for noon.