February 3, 2019

Dallas, Pacific get wins in Sunday Slate

More news about: Howard Payne | Pacific | Redlands | Sul Ross State | University of Dallas
Sul Ross State score 21 runs as they split a
doubleheader with University of Dallas on
Saturday in the opener for both teams.

Sul Ross State athletics photo

University of Dallas took the series win over Sul Ross State after defeating the Lobos 13-2 on Sunday afternoon. Pacific's stopover on the way to the Cactus Classic Tournament went as planned as the Boxers took a second game from Redlands 8-6.

The battle of the HPUs ended in heartbreak as Howard Payne dropped both legs of Sunday's doubleheader to the Sharks of Div. II Hawai'i Pacific, 10-9 and 20-4, at Hans L'Orange Park.

Dallas 13, Sul Ross State 2

The Crusaders scored two early runs in the bottom of the first. Dallas pitching held the Lobos in check through six innings. UD then scored four more runs in the bottom half of the seventh inning. Dallas wasn't done offensively as they put a five spot on the board in the eighth. Stellar pitching held the Lobos in check all day as the Crusaders only allowed two runs to score. UD only had three hits on the day but took advantage of eight wild pitches, ten batters hit by pitch and 10 walks to grab the convincing win.

Dallas shut down an early attack by the Lobos in the first as Zachary Taylor got out of the inning after allowing a two-out double. UD got a leadoff walk from Jordan Stickler in the bottom half of the inning. Stickler eventually scored off a sacrifice fly from Luke Boylson. Jessup Scott then pushed across another run to helped UD grab a 2-0 lead.

Josh Abalos reached base for the second-straight at bat in the third. Boylson singled in Abalos as UD went up 3-0 after three innings. Taylor kept the Lobos off the board after he went four innings only allowing one hit and striking out four men. Jamie Wallace came in relief for four more innings to earn the win. Wallace gave up two runs, but fanned three men and got out of multiple jams. Jaylen Camarillo closed the game out in the ninth.

Grant Gravitt was granted the loss after he gave up two early runs, and was pulled after not recording an out. Wesley Moss and Jacob Pool notched a run-batted-in each in the seventh and eighth.

SRSU made things interesting after they loaded the bases in the top of the seventh with a leadoff double and two men walked with no outs. Wallace got one out after Jeff Hartley flied out. Moss then got a run in after he grounded out. Wallace then got Jospeh Sanchez to fly out to get out of the seventh with only one run allowed. The Crusaders responded with nine runs over the next two frames.

Boylson led Dallas with three RBI after he went 2-2 on the day and grabbed a walk. Paul Scioli and Seth Hanson both marked RBI in the game. Abalos recorded three stolen bases.

This win marked the first home-opening weekend series win for Dallas since 2012.

Pacific 8, Redlands 6

A two-run home run by Jordan Hara in the top of the ninth proved to be the difference as the Pacific University baseball team defeated Redlands, 8-6 in rainy conditions on Sunday afternoon in Redlands, California.

The Boxers (2-0) start the season with a pair of wins for just the second time since 2002. Eli Wisdom went 4-for-4 with three runs scored and Aaron Alexander, Von Ferguson and Ryan Krout each had two hits in the win for Pacific.

The Bulldogs (0-2) had 11 hits including three from Tony Rosario in the loss.

"A good start to the season with two road wins against a quality West Region team," said Pacific head coach Brian Billings. "The bats came alive today and responded in a back and forth game. It was a big moment for Jordan Hara, who hit a go-ahead 2-run home run in the ninth after they tied it up. We are looking forward to facing more strong opponents, next weekend in Tucson."

The back-and-forth contest saw each team plate three runs in the eighth to tie the game at six. In the top of the ninth, Wisdom recorded his third hit of the day with a one out double for the Boxers. Next, Hara, who was making just his second collegiate at bat, hit a 0-1 pitch from Bulldog reliever Cal Bridges just inside the left-field line for a home run.

The Bulldogs managed to get the winning run to the plate with one out before Boxers' reliever Tyler Oscarson, who was the fourth pitcher on the day for Pacific, got a foul out and pop out to seal the win.

Pacific got on the board in the second inning when Ryan Krout brought in Wisdom, who led off the inning with a triple to the gap in right-center field. The Bulldogs managed to tie the game at 1 in its half of the third inning. A RBI single by Von Ferguson brought in Dustin Meyer in the fifth inning, putting the visitors back in front by a 2-1 margin. Again, Redlands answered and took their first lead of the day with two runs coming in on a two-RBI double in the fifth for a 3-2 lead.

The Bulldogs nearly added to its lead in the sixth, stranding the bases loaded. The Boxers came back to tie the game in the seventh as Aaron Alexander hit a two out triple to score Ferguson, who had singled earlier in the inning.

With the game tied at 3, the two teams each scored three runs in the eighth to set the stage for the late-game heroics by the Pacific freshman from Aiea, Hawaii.

Oscarson made his second appearance of the winning and also got his second win, pitching the final 1.2 innings for the Boxers. Bridges pitched the final 1.2 innings for the Bulldogs, allowing three hits in the loss to fall to 0-1.

Hawaii Pacific 6, Howard Payne 5; Hawaii Pacific 20, Howard Payne 4

In game one Howard Payne jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the 2nd inning due to a Rylee McGee triple. The Jackets would then extend their lead to 4-1 on a throwing error that allowed RJ Roberts to come home.

Hawai'i Pacific tied it up 4-4 in the 5th inning on a triple of their own, and then took a 6-4 lead in the 6th on a double.

The Jackets drew within one on another RJ Roberts' tank, but that's where the game would end in a 6-5 final.

RJ Roberts finished the game 2-5 with a home run and 1 rbi, and Rylee McGee, in his first start for the Jackets, finished 3-4 with 2 ribs of his own.

Xavier Haines had a solid start going 4.1 giving up 4 earned runs on 7 hits. Korey Owen fell to 0-1 on the year after giving up 1 earned run, on 1 hit in 2/3 of an inning.

In game two an 11 run 1st inning for the Sharks put the Jackets in a hole they just could not climb out of.

Seth Owen with the start made it 2/3 of an inning giving up 11 runs, none earned, on 5 hits. 6 other pitchers combined to close out the game at a final of 20-4. Zach Gingrich, Ty McCain and RJ Roberts all had one hit. Gingrich and Collin Davis had an rbi a piece.

Howard Payne drops to 0-5 while Hawai'i Pacific improves to 5-0 on the season. The Jackets will get another chance on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14th, in Abilene against the War Hawks of McMurry.