KANSAS CITY, MO-- The Dallas Christian College Baseball team started off the NDAG Regional Tournament with a 9-2 victory against Champion Christian College on Monday afternoon and a thrilling 4-3 victory on Tuesday afternoon in extra innings against #1 seed Ecclesia College on an Al Gatson RBI double.

Game 1- The Crusaders used a strong 5 run second inning to control the game and never lost the lead. Jaidon Erivez went 2 for 4 at the plate with 3 RBI's. Jonas Ledesma went 2 for 4 at the plate with 2 RBI's. Kreed Jones went 2 for 4 at the plate with an RBI. 

The DCC offense tallied 11 hits, 8 RBI's and 9 runs. Caden Beck was stout in the bump for the Crusaders going 7 innings, allowing 5 hits, 2 runs, and no earned runs in 26 batters faced.

Game 2- The Crusaders scored 3 runs in the top half of the second inning to take an early lead. The Royals answered with a three run rally of its own to knot the game at 3 heading to the third inning. Both teams played solid defense with neither team scoring a run for 5 innings.

This game needed extra innings as the pitchers were throwing gems. Alton Gatson stepped up to the plate with 2 outs and smashed an RBI single to left-center field to score Stephen Ware-Miller to give the Crusaders a 4-3 lead. Derek Lewis shut down the Royals in the bottom of the 8th inning to clinch a huge upset victory to propel the Crusaders to the next round of the winners bracket.

Derek Lewis was dominant on the bump, pitching 8 innings allowing 3 runs, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts, in 31 batters faced. Alton Gatson had 3 of the 4 RBI's for the Crusaders, going 2 for 3 at the plate. The Crusaders will face Arlington Baptist University at noon on Wednesday.