IRVING, Texas – The University of Dallas baseball team split a four-game series with Howard Payne, earning wins in the opener and finale while the Yellow Jackets claimed the middle two contests.

UDallas totaled 30 runs and 31 hits across the series, highlighted by key offensive performances from Luke Gill, David Laranjo, Walker Alsobrooks, and Andrew Israel.

In game one, UDallas rallied for a 4-3 win behind timely baserunning and late offense. After trailing 2-0 in the second inning, the Crusaders evened the score in the fourth when Dylan Goddard stole home and Andrew Israel drove in David Laranjo with a sacrifice fly. Luke Gill gave UDallas the lead in the fifth with an RBI single that scored Dylan Thane. Howard Payne tied the game in the seventh, but the Crusaders responded in the eighth when Israel drew a bases-loaded walk that forced in Gill for the winning run. Dominic Gill secured the victory with 1.2 scoreless innings in relief, while Liam Mosley struck out seven over 6.1 innings on the mound.

Howard Payne evened the series in game two with a 4-3 win. The Yellow Jackets jumped ahead early with three runs across the first two innings behind RBIs from Landon Prestage and Joshua Lile. UDallas answered with a three-run fourth inning, highlighted by a two-run double from Luke Gill that tied the game. However, Prestage delivered again in the sixth with an RBI double to give Howard Payne the lead for good as the Yellow Jackets held off the Crusaders late.

In game three, Howard Payne's offense broke the game open in a 15-6 victory. The Yellow Jackets recorded 17 hits and used a seven-run seventh inning to pull away. Nader Gulamhusein launched a grand slam in the second inning to spark the offense, while Braden Franks added a solo home run in the third. UDallas responded with a five-run third inning, highlighted by a two-run home run from Andrew Israel, but Howard Payne maintained control and extended its lead late in the contest.

UDallas responded in the series finale with a 17-10 victory in a high-scoring game. The Crusaders scored seven runs across the first two innings, including RBIs from Dylan Roscopf, Sam Campbell, David Laranjo, and Nomar Duran. Walker Alsobrooks added a two-run home run in the fifth inning as UDallas continued to build its lead. The Crusaders capitalized on 12 walks and several Howard Payne defensive miscues while multiple pitchers combined to secure the win, with Landon Phillips earning the victory in relief.

PLAYER HIGHLIGHTS
Luke Gill: 5 hits, 2 doubles, 3 RBI across the series
David Laranjo: 5 runs scored, 3 RBI, multiple key hits in the finale
Walker Alsobrooks: home run, 4 runs scored in game four
Andrew Israel: home run, 5 RBI across the series

NOTABLES
UDallas scored 17 runs in the series finale, the team's highest single-game total of the series.
The Crusaders drew 12 walks in game four and capitalized on multiple Howard Payne errors.
Dominic Gill earned the game-one victory with 1.2 scoreless innings in relief.
UDallas produced multiple big offensive innings, including a five-run third in game three and a seven-run start across the first two innings in game four.

Up Next
UDallas will look to build on the series split as the Crusaders continue their conference schedule in the coming week.