THE LEAD
DBU remained alive in the Lubbock Regional as the Patriots held off Fairfield 8-5 on Saturday at Rip Griffin Park.  Darick Hall smashed two home runs in the victory and also notched his ninth win of the season, throwing seven-and-two-third-innings and allowing just two runs.  With the win, DBU awaits the loser of tonight's New Mexico and Texas Tech match-up in an elimination game scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
 
After squandering an opportunity in the first inning, the Patriots struck for three runs in the second, ignited by Austin Listi who laced his first triple of the season with a line drive to right-centerfield.  Listi eventually trotted home when Matt Duce singled on a 3-0 pitch to plate the game's first run.  Duce would come around after Trooper Reynolds moved him to third on a single and Camden Duzenack grounded out. Tim Millard then completed the scoring in the frame with a two-out double to right-center.
 
More runs came across for the Patriots in the next several frames as Listi and Reynolds played key parts in the scoring once again in the third inning, this time with RBI singles through the infield to make it 5-0 heading to the fourth inning.  DBU scored lone runs in the fourth and the fifth on David Martinelli's sacrifice fly and Hall's 19th homerun of the season, respectively.
 
Hall cruised through the early innings as his offense gave him plenty of support, but the junior right-hander ran into trouble in the fifth when the first four batters of the inning reached for Fairfield.  A dazzling play at shortstop by Duzenack on a dive to his left helped limit the damage,  but the Stags climbed back into the game with a couple runs before the threat was extinguished.
 
The Stags tried to carry momentum into the sixth inning as second baseman Mac Crispino lined the second pitch of the inning over the head of Martinelli in right field and off the wall. Crispino thought he had a certain double to lead off the inning, but his headfirst dive into second was met by the tag of Camden Duzenack when Martinelli rocketed a throw from the wall on the money to his shortstop for the out.
 
Sean Stutzman entered the game for DBU with one out in the eighth inning after runners advanced to first and second against Hall.  Stutzman struck out Brendan Tracy for the second out of the inning before a single to left field allowed the third run of the game for Fairfield to score.  After a walk loaded the bases, Seth Elledge came on and induced a groundout to insure a four run lead to the ninth inning.
 
Hall would add another insurance run in the top of the ninth as he blasted his second home run of the game and 20th of the season over the wall in right.  Carrying a five-run lead going to the bottom of the ninth, the Stags were able to touch Elledge for two runs in the ninth before the Patriots' closer got a ground out off the bat of pinch-hitter Tom Ryan for the final out.
 
DBU HEAD COACH DAN HEEFNER ON DARICK HALL'S DAY AT THE PLATE AND ON THE MOUND
"Darick's performance was huge for us today.  He gave us seven strong innings and was able to work through a jam in the fifth and get deep into the game.  That just speaks to his character and toughness on the mound.  At the plate, he put together two great swings and those two home runs proved to be big for us."
 
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- DBU's 42 wins are now tied for the third most in the program's Division I era, matching the win total from 2011.  The record is held by last year's team with 46 wins.
- Darick Hall is now tied with Drew Holder for the second most home runs in a single-season in DBU baseball's Division I history.
- Hall also now ranks fourth in strikeouts in a single-season in DBU's Division I history with 94 strikeouts.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
14 – Seth Elledge moved to within one save of matching the single-season record for saves as he notched his 14th save of the year.
7 – Austin Listi has reached base safely seven times in the Lubbock Regional with four walks and three hits.
9 – Darick Hall's ninth win of the year matches Colin Poche for the most wins on the pitching staff.
 
UP NEXT
DBU will face the loser of the New Mexico and Texas Tech game, played later tonight, on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m.