HUNTVILLE,TX- St. Thomas Celts kicked off their first home game of the season in style, defeating the University of Dallas Crusaders 11-1 in a dominating performance at Sam Houston Field. The win improves the Celts to 4-5 overall and 3-3 in SCAC conference.

The Celts got off to a strong start in the bottom of the first inning when Dylan McKee singled to center field, driving in Tyler Mills to give St. Thomas an early 1-0 lead. After a scoreless second inning, the Crusaders responded in the top of the third, tying the game at 1-1.

However, the Celts took control in the bottom of the fourth inning and never looked back. Ryan Ratajczak doubled to left field, scoring Gabe Garner and Dylan Lamb to make it 3-1. St. Thomas continued to build momentum in the bottom of the fifth, as Ratajczak flied out to center field, allowing McKee to score and extending the lead to 4-1.

The Celts added another run in the bottom of the sixth when Dylan McKee singled to left field, driving in Jarod Smith to make it 5-1. The offense exploded in the bottom of the seventh, plating four runs to put the game out of reach. Eduardo Tamez singled to left field, scoring Garner, while Tyler Mills followed with a single to center field, bringing home Alex Andersen and Ratajczak. Jarod Smith capped off the inning with an RBI single to right field, scoring Tamez and pushing the lead to 9-1.

St. Thomas added two more runs in the bottom of the eighth. Tristan Mansell walked with the bases loaded, scoring Lamb, and Jarod Smith drew another walk to bring home Garner, making it 11-1. The Celts' pitching and defense held strong, securing the run-rule victory in their first home game of the season.

Up Next

The Celts will look to carry their momentum into today's doubleheader as they finish their three-game series against the University of Dallas. First pitch for Game 1 is scheduled for 1 p.m., followed by Game 2 at 4 p.m. Follow all the action and updates by following @USTCeltbaseball on Instagram.