Box Score

The Dallas Baptist Baseball Team used a 13 hit barrage to cruise to an 8-2 win over Wichita State at Eck Stadium in Wichita, Kansas, on Saturday afternoon.  The victory places DBU (32-18, 10-7) in a three-way tie for third place with Wichita State and Illinois State heading into tomorrow's rubber match versus the Shockers.   

In a game delayed for 40 minutes due to a lighting delay following the fourth inning, the Patriots got a valiant effort from junior right-hander, Paul Voelker.  In five-plus innings of work, Voelker surrendered just one run, while walking four and striking out five. 

DBU took an early 2-0 in the top of the first when Camden Duzenack ripped a pitch that grazed off of the glove of the Shockers' third baseman, Chase Simpson, and rolled into left field, allowing Justin Wall to score from third.  On the throw to the plate, the ball skipped away from Wichita State's catcher, Tyler Baker, allowing RJ Talamantes to score.  The two errors on the play were a sign of things to come for the Shockers, as they committed five errors on the afternoon.

In the fourth, DBU tacked on another run when Nash Knight grounded out to the right side of the infield with the bases loaded.  The RBI would be the first of four on the day for Knight.

Following a solo blast off the bat of Baker in the Wichita State fourth that cut the Patriot lead to 3-1, Voelker came back in the fifth to work out of a jam and preserve a 3-1 lead.  After walking the first two batters he faced, Voelker induced a double play ball and then struck out one of the nation's top hitters, Casey Gillaspie, with a runner at third to get out of the inning.

"I thought Paul's ability to battle through that inning just shows how mentally tough a pitcher he is," DBU Head Baseball Coach, Dan Heefner remarked.   "I think he relishes the role of being the Saturday guy in our rotation and likes having the pressure on his shoulders on a day like today when we needed the win to tie the series."

In the sixth, the Patriots added two more runs as Camden Duzenack and Knight each delivered RBI singles.   The Shockers responded with a run of their own in their half of the sixth to cut the DBU lead to 5-2. 

Another base hit from Knight scored a Patriot run in the seventh and a Drew Turbin homerun over the center field wall in the eighth extended the DBU lead to 7-2.  Turbin's solo blast was his third of the season.  Austin Listi finished the Patriot scoring on the afternoon with a double laced down the left field line, scoring Mike Wesolowski to run the score to 8-2.

Drew Smith worked three-plus innings out of the bullpen to earn his first save of the year and the second of his career.  In three-and-one-third innings, Smith kept Wichita State scoreless and did not allow a hit, while walking just one.

On the day, five different Patriots collected multi-hit days including: Turbin, Wesolowski, Wall, Duzenack, and Knight. 

DBU and Wichita State will meet tomorrow in the deciding game of the three game series.  First pitch is scheduled for 1 pm.