DALLAS, Texas – The Dallas Christian College baseball team captured a doubleheader sweep to open a four-game conference series on Friday versus Ecclesia College. The Crusaders ensured their first series split against a regional opponent this campaign in the third such series. It was also the fourth time this season that DCC won consecutive games and also four times in a same-day doubleheader.
The Crusaders were able to pull out a 6-5 victory in the series opener after a marathon, nine-inning game for what is typically a seven-inning affair. Up 5-4 and down to needing just one out to close the win, The Royals' Tyrus Wells swatted a double in the gap that reached the wall and allowed the tying run to score from first. DCC was able to get a single with the bases loaded in the ninth, as
Marcos Franjul was the hero that drove in Manny Valenzuela.
Game two looked a little shaky at the start, as Ecclesia pounded back-to-back home runs to start the game. In what would be a three-run frame allowed, DCC doubled the total amount of runs scored that inning and got an additional pair what would be an 8-run bottom of the first. That was plenty, as DCC cruised to a 12-5 triumph.
Game 1 Recap (W, 6-5) (F/9)
The Crusaders got on the board early with a three-run first inning. A lead-off single by
Carlos Torres and Manny Valenzuela double started the frame.
Brandon Andrews drove in Torres on a sacrifice fly. With two outs and runners on first and third,
Josh Freeman singled to the right-center gap and plated both runners.
Clayton Phillips for Ecclesia got a run back with a deep double to the left-center that got the team on the board in the fourth inning.
DCC pushed its lead to four runs with another pair in the fifth inning. After an error started the inning, two batters later there would be a string of three consecutive singles that included a
Josh Freeman single through the right side that made it 4-1. With two outs,
Casey Morrow was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force in the fifth run, which was pinch runner
Riley Hernandez.
The Crusaders had Ecclesia on the ropes, but two swings in the sixth altered the momentum as Cole Howard lifted a solo home run to left on the first-pitch. A couple batters later, it was Phillips that had another impactful swing as a no-doubter over left cut the margin to one. The Royals would even things up in the seventh inning, as Tyrus Wells doubled to the left center wall. Despite DCC's efforts to hustle and get the ball in, no throw would be made as Jalen Reece was running with two outs on contact from first base.
The home team's offense went down 1-2-3 in the seventh and it was off to extra innings.
Joel Stone would open the eighth with an infield hit.
Axel Rios ran for him and Morrow walked to put two runners on. The next two batters hit into an infield fly and then a shallow fly to right ended up being a double play as Rios got doubled off.
Valenzuela doubled down to the right field corner to open the ninth on a 3-2 pitch. Andrews singled to shallow center and put runners on the corners. A walk to
Stefon Reyes loaded the bases, but the RBI leader for the Crusaders is
Marcos Franjul and he delivered the winning blow on a hit back through the middle to give DCC its first extra-inning win this year and two walk-offs in a row when the team prevailed. DCC also had a walk-off by Franjul in game two versus Randall University.
Collin Patten, who started for the Crusaders, would buckle down and keep things tied at five. The native of Arlington, Texas, would only allow one baserunner in the extra innings, which was the leadoff batter in the eighth. He did make it to second, but would be stranded there. Patten ended up with his fourth win of the year and went a career-long nine innings and worked around nine hits, five runs (four earned) on two walks. He did hit two batters and struck three out. Patten did record 15 outs in the air compared to six on the ground. Patten did use 106 pitches in his outing.
DCC ended a five-game winning streak for the Royals. The Crusaders moved to 1-1 this season in extra-inning games.
Both of Valenzuela's hits were doubles and Andrews, Franjul, and Freeman all had multi-hit games. Freeman totaled half of the team's runs-batted-in with three. Valenzuela would come in to score four times. DCC logged 11 hits.
Coleson Coffey went seven innings in the start. He scattered seven hits, five runs (three earned), walked three, and struck out three. Reece was saddled with the loss in relief.
Game 2 Recap (W, 12-5)
In the second game, Austyn Hester and Jalen Reece clubbed consecutive homers to jump out to a 2-0 lead. By the end of the inning it was a three-run gap, but the Crusaders answered with authority by putting together eight runs in their first trip to the plate.
A couple of walks by
Travis Whitehurst and Valenzuela set the table for the pair to score on a double by Andrews. An error would help DCC knot the score at three.
Cooper Ness broke the tie with a double to left center field that scored
Gustavo Silverio and Franjul. Stone tripled to right to score Ness and then would score on a single by
Mitchell Ray, which had DCC bat around. Valenzuela doubled to wrap up the high-scoring inning with pinch runner
Zeke Humek coming around.
DCC had the next run in the fourth inning, as Andrews walloped his team-leading fifth home run of the season over the left field wall.
After Ecclesia got a run back in the fifth, the Crusaders responded with three more runs to wrap up their scoring. The final run would come for the guests in the sixth, but that was the only rally mounted in this doubleheader sweep.
DCC finished with 11 hits and was led by Stone with a perfect 3-for-3 game and a walk. The first baseman was a home run shy of the cycle. Andrews drove in three runs and joined Ray with the other multi-hit games at 2-for-4. A trio of players would score twice with Whitehurst, Andrews, and Humek forming that unit. The Crusaders did draw six walks and were hit by a pitch three times.
DCC totaled seven hits for extra-bases, including five doubles from five different players.
Ryan Bailey righted a rocky start with six innings and worked around nine hits. He was charged four earned runs of the five allowed and had two strikeouts and walks.
James Holiday finished the win out with a scoreless seventh. He had a strikeout as well.
Dallas Christian wrapped up the four-game conference series with Ecclesia on Saturday 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."
