THE RUNDOWN
Tuesday afternoon, DBU (22-15, 11-4 CUSA) took down UT Arlington (14-21, 3-3 WAC) by a score of 10-5, as the Patriots extended their win streak to four games, earning their second midweek victory of the season.
Russ Smith earned his third win of the campaign, tossing two and two-thirds scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Smith allowed just three baserunners and struck out three hitters in the process.
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The Mavericks drew first blood in the top of the first, scratching one run across before loading the bases with one out, chasing
Aiden VanDeHatert in favor of
Russ Smith. Smith escaped the bases-loaded jam by inducing an infield fly and a strikeout to consecutive hitters.
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DBU answered in the bottom half, as
Dylan Cupp led off the game with a walk before coming in to score on a
Ben Tryon triple. Shortly after, with two outs,
Chayton Krauss, who would go on to make program history later in the evening, pulled an RBI single through the five-six hole, giving the Patriots a 2-1 lead.
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Smith tossed a scoreless top of the second before DBU added to their lead in the bottom half. After the first two hitters in the inning were retired, the Patriots were able to tack on another two runs in the form of a
Ben Tryon single, as
Adam Berghult and
Dylan Cupp came in to score.
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After another shutout frame from
Russ Smith,
Chayton Krauss and
Cooper Neville reached base to lead off the bottom of the third, and would both come in to score on an
Adam Berghult triple. For the third consecutive inning, the Patriots had brought in a pair of runs, and they led 6-1.
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The Mavericks responded in the next half inning with a four-spot, highlighted by a two-run homer off the bat of Preston Knott.
Max Luzarraga entered the game midway through the inning and recorded all three outs of the frame, not allowing an earned run of his own.
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The score would remain 6-5 until the bottom of the sixth, where the Patriots turned in a four-run frame of their own. After
Dylan Cupp led off the inning with a walk,
Luke Pettitte punched an RBI double to the left-center gap, and would later score on a
Ryan Martin RBI single. With one out and a runner on first,
Chayton Krauss turned around a 1-1 offering and belted it over the batter's eye in straightaway center field. Krauss' shot was the 40th of his career, becoming the fifth Patriot to reach that mark.
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Leading 10-5,
Michael Benzor relieved
Max Luzarraga in the seventh, after Luzarraga delivered a scoreless three innings. Benzor delivered a one-two-three seventh, preserving the five-run lead.
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Avery Duncan and
Athan Kroll tag-teamed the eighth inning of tonight's contest, as Kroll was able to escape an inherited one-out, bases-loaded jam with two consecutive strikeouts.
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Kroll received the keys to the ninth inning once again and allowed a lead-off single off the bat of Caylon Dygert, but that would be all that the Mavericks could muster, as Kroll retired the next three hitters to earn his seventh save of the season.
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THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
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Chayton Krauss is the first Patriot to reach 40 home runs and 200 hits within three seasons of play.
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Russ Smith hasn't allowed a run in his last 5.2 innings pitched out of the bullpen.
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Athan Kroll earned his team-leading seventh save of the campaign tonight.
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INSIDE THE NUMBERS
4 - The Patriots have won four consecutive ballgames.
3 -
Ben Tryon and
Chayton Krauss shared the game lead in RBI with three each.
2 - DBU recorded multiple triples in a game for the first time this season.
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ON DECK
DBU will host Liberty (26-10, 11-4 CUSA) at Horner Ballpark this weekend. Friday's first pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.
