OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – The Dallas Christian College baseball team dropped two tough games to NAIA Mid-America Christian University on Tuesday on the road. It was the first away games outside of DFW for the Crusaders in 21 games.
In game one, the Crusaders claimed a 2-1 lead with a pair of runs in the second inning and reclaimed the lead by a run in the sixth. MACU would put together a four-run sixth and held off the Crusaders in the seventh to win the first game 6-4.
In game two, DCC showed its spirit with a six-run fifth to go up 6-5, and had a home run by
Gustavo Silverio in the seventh to force extra innings. The Evangels were able to win the game in the eighth inning to claim the sweep.
The Crusaders fall to 6-17 overall and have dropped their last five. However, four of those losses have been determined by two runs or less. The Crusaders are 2-6 in such games this season.
Game 1 (L, 6-4)
A single up the middle for MACU gave the home team an early 1-0 advantage.
The Crusaders got a pair of runs in the top of the second thanks to a two-run blast that scored
Stefon Reyes. That was the shortstops third home run of the campaign and highlighted his 2-for-3 day. He was the only DCC player with multiple hits.
After a 1-2-3 home second inning, the Crusaders worked around trouble in the bottom third and fourth frames. With one out, MACU loaded the bases with two walks and a hit batter. A couple of lineouts to each corner outfielder kept the 2-1 lead intact. The Evangels would strand two in the fourth.
A throwing error on a double steal attempt allowed the game to be knotted up at two in the fifth.
The Crusaders were able to create some defensive mishaps of their own in the sixth, as
Brandon Andrews reached on a one-out walk and came around to score after Reyes walked and a throwing error by the catcher created mayhem.
Unfortunately, DCC would be unable to prevent the home team from coming back as a trio of walks led to trouble. With an RBI-groundout tying things at three, the lone hit of the inning cleared the left field wall, as Yan Ely Adames hit what would drive in the eventual deciding runs.
The Crusaders got a run back in the seventh, as
Mitchell Ray reached on an error and got to second.
Jeremiah Thomasson ran for Ray and scored on a single to right field by
Travis Whitehurst. A double play extinguished the rally and DCC fell short despite outhitting its opponent, 8-3.
The top five batters in the DCC lineup recorded a hit, although Franjul hit the only one for extra-bases.
Carlos Torres, Manny Valenzuela, Andrews, Reyes, Caleb McQueen, and Whitehurst accounted for the others.
Ethan Connell drew the start and went three innings. He allowed a run on two hits and struck out three.
Gavin Chamberlain went the next two innings and
James Holiday was saddled with the tough loss in the sixth. Four pitchers on the staff combined for nine walks and two hit batters.
Luuk Ter Beek pitched five innings in the start and struck out six, while getting six groundouts. He scattered six hits and allowed two runs, while walking none. Chase Zienin notched the win, while Kelton Lachelt earned the save for MACU.
Adames did get credit for two of the team's three hits.
Game 2 (L, 8-7) (F/8)
It was another game where the Evangels offense was outhit, 8-6, but would generate a lot of traffic in other ways. A wild pitch got MACU on the board in the first inning and then four unearned runs pushed the lead to five in the second. Four of DCC's five errors occurred in the first two frames.
The Crusaders chipped away and got the deficit erased in the fifth inning, as the first five batters reached either by an error, walk (3), or hit by pitch.
Noah Snelson got plunked for the first RBI of the frame.
Curtis Morgan III would walk next and score
Parker Taylor.
Christopher Bilbo headlined the inning with a two-RBI double to left field that cut the score to one. After a walk to
Cooper Ness,
Gustavo Silverio singled to left and loaded the bases. A hit up the middle by Reyes, who pinch hit that inning, would level the score at 5. A balk is what scored the DCC go-ahead run with Ness.
A sacrifice fly in the home fifth made it a 6-6 game, and then a bases-loaded walk would score the go-ahead run with Payton Walk.
Both teams went scoreless in the sixth, but a one-out solo homer from Silverio evened the score at seven and forced a bottom half of the inning. Despite a hit by pitch to start things, the Crusaders got a lineout to second and twin-killing on the ground to shortstop that forced extra innings.
It was the first extra-inning game this season for DCC, but after going down in order in the eighth, the Evangels would get the lone run needed to walk-off. Caden Harris doubled to right field and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. Two intentional walks set the force out at any base, but Andrew Enwiya laced a single between the shortstop and third base positions to end the game.
Bilbo and Silverio were the two Crusaders leading the offense with two-hit games and a combined three RBI and two runs. Both had the lone extra-base hits, too. Silverio smacked his second home run of the season and second in the past six games.
Axel Rios, Snelson, and Ness also recorded hits not mentioned above.
Shane Dozier got the start and went 1.2 innings. He did not allow an earned run, but did walk three and hit a batter.
Sean Hiller delivered 2.1 scoreless innings and faced one above the minimum with a hit by batter. He fanned five batters and had the only strikeouts for the Crusaders.
Sam Marvin and Holiday finished out the game, as Holiday again got saddled with the tough-luck loss. All four pitchers hit a batter and combined for seven free passes.
SCHEDULE CHANGE
Dallas Christian will now be at home on March 18-19 for a pair of doubleheaders versus Crowleys Ridge College. First pitch for both dates are at 12 p.m.
"Dallas Christian educates and mentors students to be people of influence engaging in their calling to the work of Christ in the church and in the world."
