-Bryce Hayes, TLU Sports Information
(Sherman) – Texas Lutheran baseball is 11-1 in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference through 12 games for the first time since becoming a SCAC member in 2014 after sweeping Austin College in Sherman. The Bulldogs beat the Kangaroos 8-5 on Friday and swept Saturday’s doubleheader 12-1 and 11-3 to extend their winning streak to 11 games.
Joe Burch toed the rubber for the Bulldogs on Friday, tossing seven innings and striking out 14 batters, allowing five runs on eight hits. Burch would pick up his SCAC-leading fifth win of the season and move into first in the conference in strikeouts with 62 on the season. Joseph De Luna would relieve Burch in the eighth striking out two batters and allowing one walk in an inning of work. Blade Strzelczyk would enter the game in the ninth inning, tossing a flawless inning to pick up his fifth save of the season.
Six Bulldogs starters got a hit in the game and three drove in a run, highlighted by a 2-for-4, four RBI game from Joe Jimenez.
Texas Lutheran struck first, scoring four runs in the first inning. An RBI single from Randy Huerta would get the Bulldogs started. Joe Jimenez would follow with a two-RBI double to left field to increase the Bulldogs lead to 3-0 before stealing home for the fourth and final run of the inning.
A three-run home run got Austin College on the board in the bottom of the first.
Jimenez would strike again in the second inning with yet another double to left field – this time down the left field line – scoring two more runs for the Bulldogs as they took a 6-3 lead into the bottom of the second.
Austin College would score two runs in the bottom of the inning to cut the Bulldogs lead to 6-5.
Texas Lutheran got a pair of runs in the fifth via a two-RBI double from Holden Philippus to bring the game to its final tally of 8-5. The Bulldogs pitching staff would hold the ‘Roos scoreless for the final four frames – only allowing two hits after the fifth inning.
The Saturday doubleheader sweep pushed TLU’s road winning streak to 12 games as the Bulldogs improved to 22-7 (11-1 SCAC) on the season.
Zach Longshore was dominant on the mound. The true freshman left-hander held the ‘Roos to three hits and no runs in 5.1 innings of action fanning two Austin College batters.
TLU’s bats continued to dominate as Texas Lutheran combined for 12 hits and registered seven walks to score 12 runs in game one.
The TLU offensive started in the first inning with a two-run home run from Joe Jimenez. Texas Lutheran would score in every inning but the fifth and seventh innings.
In the second inning, Aric Vasquez would score on a sacrifice fly from Blake Cappadona as TLU took a 3-0 lead.
Tyler Post, Zac Nguyen, and Payton Dahl would all drive in runs in the third as the Bulldogs would tack on four more runs to extend their lead to 7-0.
Jimenez would drive in another run in the fourth to bring the Bulldogs lead to 8-0.
Texas Lutheran would pour on four more runs in the sixth inning with RBIs from Alec Sanchez, Aric Vasquez, Payton Dahl, and Holden Philippus stretching the Bulldog lead to 12-0.
Austin College got in the scoring column in the seventh for their lone run of the game before the game was drawn to an early run-rule conclusion.
Texas Lutheran would steal a program record nine bases in this game with Blake Cappadona, Randy Huerta (4), Alec Sanchez, Zac Nguyen (2), and Payton Dahl contributing to the record. The previous program record for stolen bases in a game was eight – set by the 2021 team also against Austin College. Randy Huerta’s four stolen bases is a new individual single-game program record – passing the previous record of three held by Huerta and seven other Bulldogs. Huerta currently ranks in the top ten in Division-III in stolen bases.
JT Taylor got the start for the Bulldogs in the series finale, throwing 5-1/3 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and two walks. He struck out five Austin College hitters on the way to his second win of the season. Brendan Beard was credited with the save – working 3.2 innings in relief – striking out five batters. Beard was around the plate all night, throwing 75 percent of his pitches for strikes.
Three TLU hitters posted multi-hit games led by a four-for-four effort from Holden Philippus. Randy Huerta and Alec Sanchez both recorded two-hit contests.
Huerta would get the scoring started in the third inning with an infield RBI single. Joe Jimenez would help the Bulldogs cross another in the inning before Huerta would cap the inning by scoring on a wild pitch to give the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead.
The Bulldogs added on in the fourth and fifth as Alec Sanchez would score on a balk in the fourth and Holden Philippus would steal home in the fifth to push the lead to 5-0.
After a three-run sixth inning from the ‘Roos, the Bulldogs offense sprung back with six runs of their own in the top of the seventh to put the game away. The sixth inning was capped off by a two-RBI single from Wade Tittle.
Beard would hold the ‘Roos scoreless for the final three innings to seal the win.
The Bulldogs would match their stolen base record that was set in the previous game in game two – once again stealing nine bases. The record was matched by Holden Philippus (3), Randy Huerta (2), Joe Jimenez, Alec Sanchez (2), and Payton Dahl.
Texas Lutheran is back at Katt-Isbel Field next weekend as they continue conference play against the University of Dallas Crusaders, April 15-16. The three-game series begins with a Friday doubleheader with first pitch scheduled for 12 PM and 3:30 PM. All streaming and live stats links can be found on tlubulldogs.com.