Jackson, MS, 2/19/2022 – The Blue Jays baseball team came into day two of the 2022 season looking to bounce back from a pair of tough losses on Friday. The Blue Jays would score a season high seven runs in the game, but the University of Dallas Crusaders pounded out 10 hits and took advantage of seven walks to take a 14-7 win on Saturday afternoon. The loss drops the Blue Jays to 0-3 on the very young season.
The Crusaders jumped on top of the Blue Jays in the top of the second inning with three runs on two hits. The Blue Jays would get a run back in the bottom of the frame. Derek Shikles (New Bloomfield, MO / New Bloomfield) and Payton Whitehead (Belleville, Il. / Belleville West) each walked to lead off the inning. Coltin Green (St. Anthony, Mo. / St. Elizabeth) would then single through the left side to load the bases. Ben Parks (St. Louis, Mo. / Parkway North) would then send a sacrifice fly to right field to score Shikles to cut the lead to 3-1. Dallas would tack on four more runs over the next three innings to take a 7-1 lead before Spencer Keiser (Old Monroe, MO / Winfield) would hit a sacrifice fly to right field to drive in Ryan Mills (Festus, MO / Hancock) who had doubled to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning to make it 7-2.
The Crusader lead grew to 13-2 heading into the bottom of the eighth. Parker Schnieders (Jefferson City, Mo. / Helias) reached base on catchers interference to lead off the inning. Steven Diaz (Highland, IL / Highland) singled to right and Hayden Hirschvogal (Jefferson City, Mo. / Jefferson City) singled to left to load the bases. A wild pitch would score Schnieders to make it 13-3 and Shikles would walk to load the bases again. Whitehead would then get hit by a pitch to drive in Diaz. After a Dallas pitching change, Green would drive in Hirschvogal with an RBI single to left. Later Parks would drive in his second run of the game with his second sacrifice fly to score Shikles to make it 13-6 Dallas. Each team would tack on a run each for the final score of 14-7 in favor of the Crusaders.
Green and Diaz led the Blue Jay defense with 2 hits each. Parks drove in two runs. Schnieders and Shikles each scored two runs. Matt Trout (Lee's Summit, Mo. / Blue Springs South) got his first start of the year going 4 and one thirds innings giving up seven runs, five of them earned, on six hits walking one and striking out two. Austin Mayton (Wentzville, Mo. / Fort Zumwalt North) came on in relief and pitched two and two thirds innings giving up two runs on four hits no walks and struck out two. Kobe Allen (St. Louis, Mo. / Pattonville) pitched to four batters giving up four runs, three of them earned while walking all four batters. Sam Owen (Katy, Tx. / Cinco Ranch) pitched the last two innings giving up one run while giving up no hits and walking two.
The Blue Jays are scheduled to be back in action on Monday February 21st when they head across town to take on the William Woods University Owls. The one nine inning game is scheduled for a 5:00 p.m. first pitch.
