DALLAS, Texas – The Dallas Christian College baseball team earned a split for its non-conference doubleheader versus NCAA Division III Eureka College on Tuesday. The Crusaders answered a 2-0 deficit in game one with eight straight runs highlighted by a pair of three-run frames en route to winning consecutive games after piling on a season-high 18 runs in the series finale on Saturday over Champion Christian University. In the second game, the Crusaders would have the tying run at bat in the seventh, but left the bases loaded in a 5-1 setback.
Game 1 (8-3, W)
The Red Devils struck first with a run in the first two innings. Both teams tallied 10 hits, but it was the Crusaders that would convert on the opportunities the most. DCC got on the board in the second inning with an RBI ground out by Jaylen Camarillo.
Marcos Franjul headlined the Crusaders offense with a 3-for-3 and two runs scored, which one of those times was in the second.
The Crusaders got a three-spot in the third inning to claim a lead that would not be relinquished the rest of the game.
Brandon Andrews singled for his lone hit of the game to right field, but scored two runs with
Joel Stone and
Carlos Torres making it home for a 3-2 advantage. Andrews would hustle home on a passed ball from second base, as the ball got lost by the Eureka catcher in the backstop.
Casey Morrow provided one of the team's two extra base hits with a double in the fourth to plate Camarillo. This was a big knock, as the count was 3-2. The other double for the Crusaders occurred an inning later by
Josh Freeman to right field and
Stefon Reyes trotted home.
Cooper Ness rounded out the Crusaders run production with a two-RBI single to center field that got courtesy runner for Freeman,
Travis Whitehurst, and Fanjul to score.
DCC put together seven runs between the third and fifth innings.
Ethan Connell was brilliant in his first career start with six innings. He allowed two runs on eight hits and walked two. He got three strikeouts and despite eight fly outs would survive on easy contact that kept the ball from landing for hits.
Gavin Chamberlain got tagged for a run on two hits in the last inning, but would add a strikeout and did not have a walk.
Neither team committed an error.
Game 2 (5-1, L)
Eureka (5-2) would start with three runs in the first inning and then padded the lead with two in the seventh to earn a split on the day. DCC was a victim of six errors and could not muster enough offense throughout the game.
David Hidden, who had two RBI, would start the scoring with a single to center field that scored Caleb Wilson. Hidden would later score on a passed ball, and David Hill had the other RBI of that inning with a single to right field.
The Crusaders got their only run thanks to an error as Whitehurst reached on a bad throw and
Michael Rabinowitz, who was running for catcher
Mitchell Ray would get home on the play.
Down 3-1, the Crusaders could not really threaten and then two more runs in the fifth gave insurance. A dropped fly ball continued the inning with one out, although it was a deep enough fly the fourth run would likely score. The fifth was unearned as a hit by pitch to Hidden credited an RBI on a run that would be unearned six a pair of errors kept the inning alive at that juncture.
With DCC unable to have a runner in scoring position since the third frame, a walk to Ness was welcoming with two outs.
Parker Taylor pinch ran, and Morrow beat out an infield single. An error gave extra life to the Crusaders with the bases loaded. Camarillo grounded out to a fielder's choice and the force out at second extinguished a chance of a comeback.
Whitehurst, Reyes, Morrow, and Ray all collected singles in this game.
James Holiday was saddled with the loss with three runs on four hits and three walks in 3.1 innings. Impressively, he hung around despite six hit by pitch batters. There were eight for the game, with each pitching plunking one.
Sean Hiller delivered three impressive innings of two-hit, one-run ball. He walked one and struck out a pair. Chamberlain retired the last two hitters out of the three faced.
Trevor Wingard for the Red Devils threw a complete game gem with an unearned run on four hits. He walked two and struck out five.
Dallas Christian improves to 5-12 overall and are 3-4 against NCAA DIII schools on the campaign. The team will be busy with a neutral site game on Thursday against another opponent in the same league with Blackburn College. The game will be at NCAA Division I University of Texas at Arlington.
DCC will also host a busy weekend with four teams participating and three total games per day being played. This is scheduled to take place on Mar. 11 and 12, but weather could impact the schedule.
"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."
