IRVING, Texas - After a comeback 8-3 victory over Dallas in their series opener on Thursday night, Hendrix picked up a crucial series sweep of the Crusaders with two wins on Friday.
Game 2 (W, 9-6)
Just as Hendrix had to mount a comeback on Thursday to win the series opener, they had to do so again to clinch the series in the first half of Friday's doubleheader.
The Warriors struck first in the visitor first on a
Ryan Lang sacrifice fly to score
Reed Ketcham. Dallas plated five runs over the next two innings to take a 5-1 lead before the Warriors got back on the board with the top of the order doing more damage.
Giancarlo Digiacomo recorded his first of three RBIs as Ketcham scored his second run of the game with a sacrifice fly in the visitor third before Digiacomo singled in
Austin Rabago in the Hendrix fifth to make it 5-3.
Dallas restored their three-run advantage in the home fifth, but it would be their final run of the ballgame. Hendrix cut the lead back down to one in the sixth courtesy of RBIs from Rabago and
Shaun Pope. The tying run came across in the eighth when Ketcham singled in Massa. Rabago and Ketcham both reached scoring position on a wild pitch, and Pope doubled them both in with a long shot to center field to make it 8-6.
Nick Echaniz ran for
Ryan Lang after the senior reached on a fielder's choice, and Echaniz eventually came around to score on a Digiacomo siingle.
Rowan Glover (W, 3-2) worked around a lead-off double in the home eighth to retire the side, recording the last two outs with a couple punchies. After Hendrix went scoreless in the visitor ninth,
Braxton Waller (S, 9) entered out of the bullpen and put the Crusaders down in order, ending the game with a punch-out.
Hendrix out-hit the home side 17-8, with Ketcham and Rabago going 3-for-4 with five runs scored between them. Digiacomo, Pope, and
Chase Harris also had multi-hit games.
Glover earned the winning decision out of the bullpen, tossing 4.0 IP of one-run ball while striking out four.
Game 3 (W, 5-3)
The Warriors went wire-to-wire in Game 3, scoring the first five runs of the game before holding on to win 5-3 and earn the series sweep.
Pope and Digiacomo both recorded RBI singles in the first to bring in Ketcham and Rabago respectively. The game was then scoreless until the fourth when
Chase Harris bunted in
Ryne Dodson to make it 3-0, and Rabago then sent a sacrifice fly to right field to bring in
Bryson Claiborne. Harris reached third on the previous play and was then able to score on a passed ball to put Hendrix up 5-0.
The Crusaders scored two in the fifth to score the only two runs against Hendrix's starter,
Cole Joyner (W, 1-1), who scattered seven hits across his five-inning outing while striking out four.
Hugh Hill entered in relief of Joyner in the sixth and carried a scoreless outing all the way to the eighth while punching out four. Hill allowed a one-out baserunner with a hit-by-pitch, and
Chance Reed entered in relief of Hill to retire the side and ensure another scoreless frame.
Braxton Waller (S, 10) surrendered a run in the ninth but left the tying run stranded on base with a punch-out to earn his tenth save of the year and secure the series sweep for Hendrix.
Up Next: the series sweep puts Hendrix (18-11, 13-8 SCAC) in sole possession of second-place in the SCAC, and after a midweek home game against Lyon College, they will host the league leaders and nationally-ranked Texas Lutheran next weekend at Warrior Baseball Field for a momentous three-game set in Conway.
