IRVING, Texas – Bolstered by a pair of pitching gems from
Julia Kruse and
Kristiana Guerra, the University of Dallas softball team swept a doubleheader from the University of the Ozarks Friday, winning 3-1 and 1-0 on the final home weekend of the season.
Kruse, who took over in the opener after a shutout inning by starter
Ava Trevino, went 5 2/3 innings, allowing an unearned run on six hits and two walks to get the win. Guerra came on with a pair of runners on in a two-run game in the seventh inning, using a strikeout to end the game and earn her third save of the season.
In the nightcap, Guerra went the distance, twirling a three-hit shutout to complete the sweep. It was the Crusaders' first shutout since blanking Ozarks 9-0 on the road a little over a year ago on April 12, 2025.
The shutout set the stage for Saturday's Senior Day finale, which was pushed back to 3 p.m. at Crusader Field.
Madison Carda singled to right-center to score
Erika Gazalski, and
Abby Lasley's RBI single brought home
Keely Mathis in the first inning of Game 1. The Crusaders (8-26, 3-22 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference) extended the lead to three on
MacKenzie Flocke's run-scoring single in the third.
Ozarks (17-19, 10-16) picked up its lone run of the twin bill in the fifth on Kamryn Uher's RBI double, which allowed Grace Price to score, following an error with two outs.
Gazalski and
Emma Sherman were each 1 for 2 with a stolen base for Dallas, whose 10 hits between the two games bumped the season total to 220. Carda and Lasley both went 1 for 2 with an RBI, and Flocke was 1 for 3 with an RBI.
Katie Duffy-Relf had a hit and walk.
In the second game, Mathis' sacrifice fly to right on a 2-1 count in the third drove in
Carolina Luna for the game's only run.
Mathis was 1 for 3 with an RBI. Luna, Duffy-Relf and
Bre Barnes each had a hit. Barnes belted her first double of the season. Lori-Ann Hughes, Dez Soto and Uher accounted for the Eagles' three hits.
Mathis' gamewinning RBI was her eighth of the season.
The Crusaders will honor seniors
Katie Duffy-Relf and
Abby Lasley following Saturday's game.
