Offense Dominates, Strzelczyk Electric as TLU Run-Rules Austin College, 11-1

SEGUIN, Texas -- Scoring early and never relenting at the plate or on the mound, the Texas Lutheran baseball team defeated Austin College, 11-1 in seven innings, Friday night at Katt-Isbel Field in the series opener.

Blade Strzelczyk (San Antonio/East Central) was electric on the mound. The fifth-year senior did not give up a hit until the fourth inning and fanned a career-high 10 Austin College hitters. He gave up just one run on six hits and a walk in seven innings - his second complete game of the season and his career.

TLU's bats stayed hot, recording 10 hits - including four extra base hits.

Texas Lutheran started the offensive in the second inning. Niko Garcia (Houston/Langham Creek) hit a leadoff single before Alec Sanchez (Waxahachie/Waxahachie) would draw a walk to put two runners on. Hayden Kesselring (New Braunfels/New Braunfels) would move the runners over with a sacrifice bunt, setting up a two-RBI double from Asher Bonnell (Round Rock/Stony Point).

Niko Garcia added on in the third, sending a mammoth shot out of Katt-Isbel Field - skying a two-run homer over the left field fence to increase the Bulldog lead to 4-0.

TLU plated three more runs in the fourth all with two outs. Walks to Kesselring and Randy Huerta (New Braunfels/New Braunfels) placed two runners on before Aric Vasquez (San Antonio/Brandeis) would load the bases with two outs after reaching on an Austin College error. Holden Philippus (San Antonio/San Antonio Christian) would draw a bases loaded walk to bring in Kesselring and Tyler Post (San Antonio/Johnson) would follow with a two-RBI double to score Huerta and Vasquez.

The Bulldogs offense wasn't done yet as they added four more runs in the sixth with Vasquez, Garcia, and Sanchez each driving in runs as the TLU lead increased to 11-0.

Austin College got in the score column in the seventh with their only run of the game coming off of a bases loaded single. Strzelczyk was able to escape the jam - striking out the final two batters he faced Friday night.

Texas Lutheran is scheduled to close out the series on Saturday, April 15, as the teams will meet for a doubleheader scheduled for 1 & 4 PM at Katt-Isbel Field. All streaming and live stat links can be found on tlubulldogs.com.