SPRINGDALE, Ark. – The No. 5 Seed Dallas Christian College ended day one of the NCCAA Independent Regional Tournament by splitting overall after a 13-1 victory to the No. 4 Seed Southeastern Christian College and 9-6 setback to No. 1 Seed and host Ecclesia College.

Immediately following the team's upset, the Crusaders faced Ecclesia in consecutive games. An RBI single by Anthony Maruffo put DCC up 1-0 in the second inning. Despite the lower seed, the Crusaders were listed as the home team in this contest due to how the format in the postseason works.

Josh Freeman had the big swing on the game for the Crusaders with a three-run shot in the third inning. This had countered Ecclesia's three-run home run of its own in the top half of the frame. The Crusaders led 5-3 after the catcher's homer.

Freeman was the lone Crusader with a multi-hit game and also scored two runs. Travis Whitehurst, Brandon Andrews, Stefon Reyes, and Alex Westman registered a hit along with Freeman's pair to have the top five batters in the order recording one. Andrews and Reyes each tallied a run and RBI, while Westman scored to give him four runs in the pair of games.

Adriel Davila got the start and lasted 3.2 innings, while allowing eight runs (five earned) on seven hits. He walked one and struck out two. Sam Marvin gave up an unearned run in 2.1 innings, and also did not walk a batter and fanned two.

Clayton Phillips had sent the Royals first home run out to take their first lead of the game. After falling behind 5-3, the tournament host and No. 6 nationally ranked team swung the momentum with a five-run fourth inning that featured another three-run home run by the Royals' Austin Butler.

DCC got a run back in the bottom of the inning, but would not be back to come closer than that and Ecclesia added its final run in the fifth.

Ecclesia used two arms on the bump with Cooper Gordan throwing the first four, while Matthew Threatt went three. The tandem combined for nine strikeouts.

Dallas Christian will play the No. 2 Seed Kansas Christian College on Tuesday at 10 a.m. in an elimination game. KCC was edged by the No. 7 Seed Bob Jones University, but would stay alive by winning 9-3 over Randall University, which was the second loss on the day for the Saints. The Crusaders split their last regular season games at KCC in the four-game series.