THE LEAD
Dallas Baptist completed a three game sweep of the Monmouth Hawks with a 7-2 victory on Sunday afternoon at Horner Ballpark.  Behind five shutout innings from Patriot starter, Cory Taylor, and a three run seventh inning that broke the game open, DBU starts the season with a 3-0 record for the fifth time in the last six years.
 
Justin Wall led the Patriots' offensive charge at the plate, smashing two triples and driving in two runs.   Leading 1-0 in the bottom of the third, Wall delivered a triple off the wall in center, scoring Daniel Salters all the way from first.  On a throwing error made by the Hawks' shortstop trying to throw Wall out at third, Wall came home to score to extend DBU's lead to 3-0.  Another triple by Wall ripped to the gap in left center plated Trooper Reynolds to make it 4-0 Patriots in the fifth.

After working out of jams with runners in scoring position in the first two innings, Cory Taylor settled in on the mound to work five scoreless frames.  Over his final three innings of work, Taylor retired nine of the last 11 batters he faced and finished the afternoon with two strikeouts, while walking two and allowing just three hits.
 
In relief of Taylor, Drew Smith came out of the pen to surrender two unearned runs over three innings.  In the top of the seventh with the bases loaded, two out, and DBU holding onto a 4-2 lead, Smith induced a ground ball back to the mound off the bat of Dave Moreno to finish the inning and preserve a two run lead.
 
In the Patriots' half of the seventh, Chane Lynch provided DBU some breathing with a two run single.   A Nash Knight single to center plated another DBU run to open up a 7-2 lead.

In the top of the ninth, the Patriots turned to closer, Brandon Koch, who worked a 1-2-3 inning.  Koch struck out the first two men he faced, before getting Kyle Perry to pop out to second to end the game.
 
DBU HEAD COACH, DAN HEEFNER – ON TODAY'S PITCHING PERFORMANCE
"I was proud of the way Cory battled early in the game with runners on base and he showed a lot of poise to get out of some tough situations.  I also thought Drew Smith looked good in some tough spots as well and showed composure on the hill.  In the ninth, that was as good as we've seen Brandon Koch during his time at DBU.  He had great life on his fastball and the slider was sharp today."
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
2 – Number of earned runs allowed by the DBU pitching staff this weekend.
2 – Justin Wall hit two triples today, one shy of tying his career-high from last year.
2 – Number of strikeouts by all three Patriot pitchers today.
 
UP NEXT FOR THE PATRIOTS
DBU travels to Waco, Texas, on Tuesday to take on Baylor.  Both teams went 3-0 over the weekend.  First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 pm.