DALLAS, Texas – The Dallas Christian College baseball team picked up another pair of wins on Saturday to complete a four-game sweep of NAIA Crowley's Ridge College.
The Crusaders offense surged to a season-high 24 runs and 21 hits in game one that was capped by a 10-run fourth inning. DCC clobbered four home runs, the most in a single-game this season with a quartet of players hitting the long ball.
In game two, DCC broke away in the fourth inning again, this time with eight runs that were part of a 15-run, 15-hit triumph.
Cooper Ness was able to go yard in this one, giving the Crusaders a home run in three-of-four games this series.
The pair of wins stretched the team's winning streak to a season-long four games and was the first series sweep of an opponent that involved at least three contests. DCC outscored the Pioneers, 54-14 over the four games.
This was also the fifth time the Crusaders reached double-digits in runs scored and are unblemished in such games.
Game 1 Recap (W, 24-6)
The Crusaders scored early and often with at least four runs tallied in each of the first four innings. They did trail at the start of the game, allowing two runs to come in before logging a plate appearance. Tanner Davis did the damage for the Pioneers with a two-run triple to left, but that was the only damage before the home team stormed away.
A bases-loaded walk to
Marcos Franjul opened the scoring in the home first.
Josh Freeman singled up the middle and scored
Travis Whitehurst and
Stefon Reyes. Singles by
Christopher Bilbo and
Gustavo Silverio rounded out the five-run first.
In the second inning, it was another five-spot, as
Brandon Andrews singled to left field and moved to second on the throw.
Carlos Torres scored to make it 6-2. It didn't matter with Reyes up where the runners had hustled to, as he torched a three-run bomb right field to make it 9-2. It was Reyes' second home run of the series. An error benefited DCC to make it 10-2 after two innings complete.
Davis had a double to left field in the third inning for his third ribbie of the game that made it 10-4. Crowley's Ridge had scored earlier that frame with an Andrew Brown infield single.
The Crusaders found four more runs in the third to make it a double-digit advantage. Franjul headlined the inning and first runs-batted-in with a two-run double to left field. Freeman grounded out to first, but Reyes scored on the play without a throw attempt, and
Cooper Ness lifted a sacrifice fly to bring the shortstop Franjul home and mark the 10-run margin.
Crowley's Ridge found another pair of runs in the fourth with a Chipper Lamb double to left and Kole Simms single to left that made it 14-6.
DCC removed any chance of a comeback with a 10-run fourth that featured a trio of home runs in the same inning. Mentioned in Friday's recap, the Crusaders had gone yard twice in the same inning for the first time this year and only took one game between to increase the number of round-trippers in a single-inning to three. Andrews ripped a three-run blast to left, while two batters later Franjul would go deep for two-run blast. After doubles by Ness and Manny Valenzuela, Silverio smacked a deep fly ball over the center field wall to make it 23-6. Reyes,
who was named NCCAA Division I Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week, would wrap up his amazing stat line with a single to left field, which is the opposite way for the left-handed batter. Whitehurst scored to round out DCC's season-high in runs.
For those keeping track, Franjul remains the team-leader in homers with four now. Andrews sits alone at third, while Silverio also hit his third overall and second on the week. The team has found its power stroke of late, with a home run in 5-of-6 games this week.
The Crusaders logged a season-best 21 hits, with six players having multiple hit games. DCC amassed four doubles, a triple, and the quartet of long balls. Whitehurst went 3-for-4 with a personal-best five runs scored. Franjul had just two hits, which were both for extra bases and drove in a game-high five runs. He was the only player among those to hit nine extra-bases that had two with the double and homer. Andrews, Reyes, and Freeman also had three-hit games with Andrews and Reyes combining for seven runs and eight RBI with four apiece. Freeman got credited with three ribbies and hit the triple.
Trevor Smith logged 3.1 innings in the start. He struck out four, but received a no decision, as
James Holiday finished the remaining 3.2 innings and did not allow a run, hit, or walk. He got seven groundouts and one strikeout. It was the first win for Holiday on the season and big on the week after consecutive losses at Mid-America Christian University that he got tough luck on.
Game 2 Recap (W, 15-4)
This was a game that DCC raced out to a major lead by the fourth inning and never looked back in order to complete the four-game sweep and reach 10 wins overall. Franjul got RBI credit for the first two DCC runs. The team lead after one inning, but damage was limited for the Pioneers.
The third is when should solid hits occurred with Franjul getting a double on a 3-0 pitch to score Andrews. Franjul was right behind on the next batter with Freeman going for a two-bagger to center field.
Joel Stone singled up to center field and rounded out a 4-0 score, as
Jeremiah Thomasson came in.
DCC used an eight-run fourth to put the crooked number out and expand the lead. Andrews singled a run in and Reyes added with a single through the right side to plate Andrews and extend a 7-0 advantage. It was 7 to 11 soon on the scoreboard and not enough slurpees to go around, as Ness pounded a grand slam to left. A fielding error concluded the 12-0 score after things had been within four runs three outs prior.
The Pioneers found three runs in the sixth, but nothing threatening as the DCC pitchers continued to execute in proper situations. Credit to a couple of DCC pitchers that hit in the bottom sixth with
Isaiah Gomez and Ethan Connell getting their first RBI's on the campaign. After a run rounded the scoring off in the seventh, the Crusaders settled for a 15-4 triumph.
Standouts in this box score were the 3-for-4 by Andrews with a pair of runs and RBI. Five different players doubled including: Whitehurst,
Jaime Aragon, Andrews, Franjul, and Freeman. Franjul was 2-for-4 with two runs and runs-batted-in. Valenzuela led the team with three runs scored. Reyes would add a 1-for-2 with a run, RBI, and walk to wrap up his impressive week. In just 14 at-bats, the outfielder and occasional first-baseman struck out just once.
DCC matched its runs total with hits with 15 apiece, and allowed seven.
Casey Morrow logged five shutout innings in the start with five punchouts to four walks.
Julian Hernandez and
Gavin Chamberlain each had an inning and combined for five strikeouts.
Crowley's Ridge used two arms that combined for seven strikeouts.
Dallas Chrisitan will be on the road on March 22 at Austin College for a doubleheader starting at 4:30 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."
