USSU Shuts Dillard Out in Second Game

NEW ORLEANS– Though Dillard University's final line didn't show a run,  the box score points to a game where the Bleu Devils competed in stretches, created traffic on the bases, and got enough contact to threaten—only to be undone by strikeouts in key moments and a few costly innings where free passes and wild pitches snowballed.

For five innings, Dillard's pitching and defense did enough to keep the game from getting completely out of hand. USSA managed only three runs through four, and one of the earliest tallies came on a defensive miscue rather than a clean rally. The Eagles' second-inning run scored when Chase Jones reached on an error and a runner came home—an example of how small breakdowns, not sustained hitting, started the scoring.


Dillard finished with 4 hits and 5 walks, which is typically enough to at least manufacture a run or two. Middle-infield production led the way:

- Malcolm McKay (SS): 2-for-4 — Dillard's most consistent bat in the game.
- Braylon McNair (3B): 1-for-3
- Sorin Stallworth (RF): 1-for-3
- Christopher Owens Jr.: 2 walks in limited official at-bats, helping Dillard generate early base traffic.
- Edrick Harrison: 2 walks — another steady on-base presence.

The difference was conversion. Dillard left 9 runners on base and struck out 10 times, with several punchouts coming in situations where a ball in play could have moved runners or forced the defense to make a play.

The game's decisive turn came in the sixth inning, when USSU posted four runs. That frame was fueled less by hard contact and more by pressure—wild pitches and extra opportunities created by Dillard's inability to fully stop the running/advancement game. USSU also got a big swing from Daniell Howell, who doubled in the inning and drove in two.

From there, USSU added a final jolt in the seventh with Andrew Garza's solo home run, putting a finishing touch on a night when the Eagles produced only 5 hits yet scored 9 runs—a clear indicator that walks, errors, and wild pitches drove the outcome as much as batting did.

Dillard used multiple arms, and there were competitive stretches—especially early—yet the staff collectively issued too many extra chances:

- Dillard pitchers allowed 9 walks and hit multiple batters (per the log), creating constant traffic.
- Dontre' Henry worked the first three innings, giving up only 1 hit but also 5 walks, and three runs crossed (two earned). That line shows the story: stuff good enough to limit hits, but command issues extended innings.
- As the game progressed, USSU's patience kept forcing Dillard into high-leverage pitches, and the sixth inning broke open with advancement on wild pitches.


Even in a shutout, Dillard's box score shows pieces to build on:

1. They did get on base (9 total baserunners via hits + walks), which means the offense wasn't absent—just unfinished.
2. McKay's two-hit night anchored the lineup and provided a steady presence.
3. Plate discipline showed up from Owens Jr. and Harrison (four walks combined), a positive indicator against a staff that ultimately struck out 10.

USSA won 9–0 despite only five hits because they maximized mistakes and free passes, while Dillard couldn't cash in its own chances. If Dillard flips even one or two of those stranded-runner moments—one timely hit, one productive out, one cleaner inning on the mound—the game narrative looks very different for much longer than the final score suggests.

-Bleu Devils-