DALLAS, Texas – The Dallas Christian College baseball team opened league play in the National Christian Collegiate Athletic Association (NCCAA) Division I Central on Friday and Saturday. After falling in the first two games on Friday, the Crusaders responded to a 16-1 setback on Saturday with a season-high 18 runs and avoided the four-game sweep. DCC's lineup was a force in the last game, batting around in the first inning and sending 12 batters to the plate.
Game 1 vs. Champion Christian (6-4, L)
DCC battled hard in the last two innings to try and tie things versus the Tigers. After allowing a pair of runs in the first and fourth and one in the fifth, the Crusaders scored three times in the sixth and had crossed a run in the seventh after the first four batters reached. However, on the lone hit of the inning by
Brandon Andrews, the Crusaders ran into an out and then
Stefon Reyes struck out and was called for interference in the batter's box, which had Andrews out on trying to steal.
Marcos Franjul singled through the left side in the sixth to score
Carlos Torres.
Cooper Ness added an RBI single to right field and then a balk got Franjul to score. The Crusaders tallied five hits, with Ness leading the way with a 2-for-3.
Collin Patten went six innings, which was his third start to complete at least that amount. He was tagged for five earned runs on 13 hits. Ethan Connell had a perfect seventh.
Game 2 vs. Champion Christian (5-1, L)
This was a game where the Tigers got on the board first and DCC tried to answer, but was unable to break through. Champion Christian got a triple by Darius Gaston and home run by Jeremy Miller to highlight the 3-0 lead.
DCC answered with a two-out rally in the home half of the inning, as Reyes and Franjul hit back-to-back doubles for the lone run by the home team. DCC continued to battle until a run in the fifth and sixth stretched the lead out of reach. The Crusaders totaled four hits.
Ryan Bailey righted the ship with six strikeouts and three earned runs allowed.
Gavin Chamberlain tossed the last two innings in relief.
Game 3 vs. Champion Christian (16-1, L)
Dallas Christian was outdone in hitting, 21-3. Andrews singled in the lone DCC run in the fifth, which scored
Noah Snelson. Andrews, Freeman, and Snelson recorded a hit, and the Crusaders had just as many players reach via a walk and hit by pitch. Andrews was on twice in the game.
Julian Hernandez threw two innings of shutout relief, while
Felipe Rubio allowed an unearned run in an inning. Four DCC pitchers combined for six strikeouts.
Game 4 vs. Champion Christian (18-5, W)
The Crusaders snapped an 11-game losing streak and avoided the brooms with their highest scoring game to date. DCC used an eight run first inning to break things open. It was not the most runs scored in an inning, but set the right tone. After Champion Christian answered with three runs over the next two innings, DCC had a pair in the third and quartet in the fifth. Four runs in the sixth sealed the productive offensive day.
Changing out the top of the lineup sparked the big first inning with
Axel Rios and Manny Valenzuela getting outfield starts. The duo each recorded two hits, two runs, and two RBI. The middle of the order, Andrews, Franjul, and Ness were all three-hit performers and drove in a combined 11 runs. Andrews and Franjul each had four in the third and fourth spots of the lineup. The two also joined Gustavio Silverio with three runs scored.
DCC combined for seven doubles and two homers. Andrews and Franjul each had one, while Rios ripped two doubles to lead the first six hitters in the lineup with a two-bagger.
In the first inning it was Andrews grounding out for an RBI. Ness plated two runs, and then Silverio would be hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to make it 4-0. That lead doubled as Rios and Valenzuela each had extra base hits a second time to bat that inning and cap the outburst.
Andrews was responsible for the next DCC runs with a two-run blast to left and double to center field. Franjul, Freeman, and Ness all doubled in the fifth to give DCC a quartet in a row and open a double-digit advantage. Franjul finished the massive scoring with a three-run no doubter in the sixth, his second round-tripper of the year.
Casey Morrow made the start and earned his first win of the season with five innings of work. He allowed three earned runs on six hits, while striking out three. Connell in his second outing of the series, would toss two innings and fanned five. The right-handed reliever faced one batter over the minimum, which was due to a hit batter.
UP NEXT
Dallas Christian continues a busy home stretch with Eureka College on Tuesday, March 8. First pitch is at 1 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."
