Following Friday’s 7-6, 10-inning victory, the Howard Payne Yellow Jackets defeated the University of Dallas 12-6 and 4-3 Saturday at Don Shepard Park to complete a three-game non-conference baseball sweep.
In Howard Payne’s 12-6 victory, the Yellow Jackets trailed 3-2 heading to the bottom of the fifth inning where HPU erupted for 10 runs.
The Yellow Jackets overcame six errors by collecting 14 hits, including five for extra bases.
Joey Villarreal led the way with three hits – including a double and a triple – and four RBIs; Nolyn Box and Will Iannacone both finished with a pair of hits and two RBIs; Jonathan McKay added two hits and one RBI; David Paleo contributed a double and two RBIs; Mark Willoughby drove in one with a hit; and Rylee McGee, Jared Pollock and Carson Wert also added base hits.
On the mound, Bryant Chambers – who notched the win – Landin Blass and D’Andrey Silva combined to surrender five earned runs on four hits with four strikeouts, three walks and a hit batter.
In the 4-3 win, the Yellow Jackets struck for three runs in the bottom of the first inning then, after Dallas drew even, scored the decisive run in the bottom of the fifth.
HPU chalked up eight hits – two by Tanner Benson, who doubled and drove home two; two by Iannacone; a double by Derek Gifford that knocked in two; along with hits from Villarreal, Box and Paleo.
Kyle Purdes, Ricky Mays and Xavier Haines teamed up to yield three earned runs on six hits with three strikeouts and a pair of walks. Mays was credited with the win and Haines picked up the save.
Howard Payne (4-7, 1-5) resumes American Southwest Conference action next week as it hosts Belhaven for three games.