DALLAS, Texas – The Dallas Christian College baseball team celebrated a long Saturday that began with several alumni, faculty/staff, and even the Farmers Branch Mayor and ended with a 6-5, 11-inning victory over tough No. 6 Kansas Christian College.
Carlos Torres was the hero with a single to right field that scored
Stefon Reyes in the 11
th to give DCC its third walk-off win on the season. The team also won for the second time in extra innings at home this year.
The teams had played even through seven innings, but KCC would go on top with a run in the ninth inning. On a 3-2 pitch with two outs in the bottom of the inning,
Marcos Franjul rocked his team-leading eighth home run of the year and kept the game alive for the Crusaders.
Julian Hernandez-Enriquez picked up his first win of the campaign after allowing just the run on no hits in three innings of relief.
The victory marked the first one on
Glenda and Denny Dixon Field.
Game 1 Recap (L, 10-2)
This game was tough out of the gate for DCC as the team allowed seven runs through two innings. The Falcons pushed six runs over in the second inning to gain a comfortable lead.
The Crusaders were only outhit 11-9, but had committed five errors compared to none by KCC.
DCC broke the shutout bid with
Josh Freeman being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the sixth inning.
Joel Stone would single to right field and score Franjul. Franjul and
Travis Whitehurst had 2-for-3 games to pace the DCC offense. Manny Valenzuela and Reyes recorded a double apiece.
Collin Patten had a tough outing with five innings pitched. He allowed six earned runs and worked around nine hits. Hernandez-Enriquez pitched the final 1.1 and retired all four batters faced.
Game 2 Recap (W, 6-5) (F/11)
After being outscored 38-11 in three games, the Crusaders played by far their most competitive game of the series. Down a run, the Crusaders took advantage of a KCC defensive mishap and got
Zeke Humek in to knot the game in the second inning. The Falcons did commit four errors to the one by DCC in this game.
Both teams got runs again in the third inning, as the Crusaders gained the lead with a pair.
Cooper Ness singled to center field and scored Reyes. Franjul went to third on that base knock. Gustavio Silverio would have the next RBI hit and plated Franjul to make it 3-2.
It was a short-held lead as CL Stacker hit a single to right field and got two runs-batted-in to trade leads at 4-3.
Cade Croysdale, one-of-four seniors recognized Friday would lift a sacrifice fly to center field in the sixth inning and score Torres to tie things at four.
Croysdale's battery-mate and fellow classmate,
Casey Morrow, earned the start and he went four plus innings with four runs on six hits allowed. He walked three and struck out three. Ethan Connell would bridge the gap with four shutout innings of one-hit ball. Hernandez-Enriquez, who pitched back-to-back games, would go the last three innings to give him 4.1 combined on the day. The trio of pitchers all had three strikeouts between them for nine by the staff.
DCC did have a chance to win the game in the seventh with a runner at second, but would strand him there. Neither team threatened in the eighth. The Falcons got their lone extra-inning run thanks to a walk, stolen base, and two wild pitches that scored Ben Miller.
The Crusaders had the heart of their order up for one last stand and with two outs, Franjul delivered in the clutch with a solo shot over the high left field fence.
Kansas Christian only had the walk and steal in the 10
th, but left the runner as Hernandez got a strikeout looking to end the frame. Torres was hit by a pitch on ball four to start the bottom of the 10
th, but could only advance to second on a groundout. Hernandez-Enriquez tossed a clean 11
th and then the fun happened.
After a strikeout to start the frame, Reyes walked on four pitches and stole second. A throwing error by the catcher allowed the right fielder to hustle to third. Franjul was intentionally walked. With the winning run on third, Franjul got to second on defensive indifference.
Noah Snelson flied out to center but it was not deep enough to score Reyes. A hit by pitch to Silverio loaded the bases and Torres got the game-winning hit to finish the weekend on a high note.
The Crusaders collected 10 hits with Valenzuela and Reyes having doubles. Franjul notched the round-tripper for his second home run in the series. Freeman was 2-for-2 as the designated hitter and Whitehurst had another multi-hit game himself. The Crusaders were hit by a pitch six times.
KCC had two players hit and would notch seven hits – all via a single. The Falcons swiped seven stolen bases as a team. Cole Henley got the start and went six innings. Jose Ballista fanned five batters in three innings of work and only surrendered that home run. Jacob Strobel was saddled with the loss in the 11
th after Grant Claycomb had just the hit by pitch in the 10
th.
Kansas Christian moved to 29-14 overall while the Crusaders are 17-37. They wrapped up the busy home season with a 15-27 record.
Dallas Christian awaits the bracket to find out who it will play in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Regional hosted by College of the Ozarks and Baptist Bible College. The tournament will range from May 9-12. Information is coming soon on dccsports.com
"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."
