Down 11-6 after five innings, Jace Sloan (Puyallup, Wash.) hit a home run over the right field wall in the sixth inning to bring the Redhawks one run closer. In the top of the seventh inning, Nate Roberts (Silverdale, Wash.) drew a one-out walk, and Marcelino Morales (Pasco, Wash.) followed with a single to right field. After a Patriot pitching change, Trent Oleszczuk's (Beaverton, Ore.) ground ball was misplayed by third baseman Kenny Hatcher, allowing Roberts to score.
Josh Kutz (Seattle, Wash.) sent a single into left field that drove in Morales to bring Seattle U within two at 11-9. Doug Kincaid (Portland, Ore.) hit the first pitch he saw from Ryan Behmanesh far over the right field wall to pull the Redhawks ahead, 12-11. However, a double by Joel Hutter in the bottom of the seventh inning drove in Behmanesh to tie the game at 12-12.
Dallas Baptist (25-12) scored twice in the bottom of the eighth inning to pull ahead, 14-12, but Seattle U did not quit, even though it was facing Patriot closer Chris Haney. Kutz singled to right field, and pinch hitter Michael Tevlin (Billings, Mont.) sent a looper that landed just inside the right-field line for a double, putting runners at second and third with two outs. Josh Kalalau (University Place, Wash.) hit a ground ball to Hutter, but his throw pulled Behmanesh off the bag at first base, allowing pinch runner Eric Yardley (Richland, Wash.) and Tevlin to come in with the game-tying runs.
Hutter atoned for his mistake, leading off the bottom of the ninth with his third double of the game. Haney laid down a successful sacrifice bunt that advanced Hutter to third base, and KJ Alexander ended the game with a single through the left side of the drawn-in infield that scored Hutter.
Seattle U scored in the first inning for the second consecutive game, as a triple by Kincaid drove in Ryan Somers (Sammamish, Wash.) with the first run of the game. A single by Sloan scored Kincaid, followed by a single from Kalalau and a sacrifice bunt by Sean Narby (Auburn, Wash.) that put runners on second and third. Cullen Hendrickson (Auburn, Wash.) laced a single into center field, scoring Sloan and Kalalau to give the Redhawks a 4-0 lead.
After Seattle U scored an unearned run in the second inning, Dallas Baptist started its comeback in the third inning on a two-run home run by Landon Anderson. In the fourth inning, Seattle U starter Arlo Evasick (Port Ludlow, Wash.) retired the first two batters, but the Patriots picked up two singles, followed by a three-run home run by Tyler Robbins that tied the game at 5-5 and chased Evasick from the game.
Blaine Jones (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) came on in relief and saw the first pitch he threw hit over the center field fence by Jason Krizan to put Dallas Baptist in the lead. The Patriots kept attacking, loading the bases on two singles and a walk, followed by a bases-clearing double by Hutter. Duncan McAlpine drove in Hutter with a single to left field, scoring Hutter and giving Dallas Baptist a 10-5 advantage.
Kincaid was the hitting star for the Redhawks, extending his hitting streak to 10 games with a 3-for-6 effort, only a single shy of hitting for the cycle. He scored twice and drove in four runs during the afternoon. Kutz, Sloan, Kalalau, Narby, and Hendrickson earned two hits apiece as the Redhawks combined for 16 hits.
Alexander led the Patriots with a 4-for-6 afternoon, scoring three times plus earning the game-winning RBI. All three hits for Hutter were doubles as he drove in four runs, with Anderson, Robbins, and Behmanesh each finishing the game with two hits for Dallas Baptist, which also collected 16 hits in the game.
The Seattle U pitching staff allowed nine walks, hit three batters, threw three wild pitches, and committed two errors while trying to pick off runners at first base. Bryan Dalton (Vancouver, Wash.) was saddled with the loss after allowing the game-winning run to score in the ninth inning.
Dallas Baptist used five pitchers during the game, with all of them allowing at least one run during their stints on the mound. Although he allowed the Redhawks to tie the game in the top of the ninth, Haney was credited with the victory after the Patriots scored in the bottom of the inning.
Seattle University (14-18) will look to salvage one game in the series Saturday, April 23, as it faces Dallas Baptist starting at 12 noon Central time. The Redhawks will return to Seattle in time to celebrate Easter Sunday before hosting Pacific Lutheran Tuesday, April 26, at 7 p.m. at Bannerwood Park in Bellevue.