Conway, Ark. – The Dominican University baseball team traveled to Arkansas to start off their season, for the second straight year. The Stars would play New York University and Hendrix College.

DU would play New York University in game one of their season. 

Game 1 Results:
New York: 11
Dominican: 4

How it Happened:
-Dominican got on the board in the first inning of the game and the first inning of their 2025 season. The run was scored on an RBI walk drawn by Senior CJ Kalekas with two outs.  
-The Violets answered back, getting a run on no hits.
-DU took a one-run lead in the second inning with Junior Zach Helein hitting an RBI single up the middle and Senior Gavin Zappe scoring on the play.  
-New York once again struck back, hitting a two-run homerun in the top of the 3^rd.  
-The Violets of New York were leading Dominican 3-2 at the end of the third inning.  
-The next two innings were scoreless until the top of the 5^th inning when NYU hit back-to-back home runs and scored 3 runs on 3 hits.  
-The Violets continued to score, scoring two more runs on three hits in the top of the seventh.  
-The score was 8-2 going into the top of the 9th inning, and New York added 3 more runs on two hits.  
-Graduate Student Grayson Downing had an RBI single in the bottom half of the 9^th, followed by Junior Niko Krecu adding another RBI single, making the score 11-4.  This would be the last run for DU.  

Shining Stars:
-Junior Zach Helein led the Stars, going 2-4 with a walk, a run scored, and an RBI. Helein recorded a stolen base in the game.
-Graduate Student Grayson Downing went 1-4 with a run scored, a walk, and an RBI.
-Junior Tyler Johnson had a good first collegiate game, going 2-4 with a walk.
-Junior Niko Krecu went 1-4 with an RBI and a walk.  

Leading the Way:
Hits: Helein, and Johnson (2) 
2B: Galvin (1)
RBI: G. Downing, Helein, and Krecu (1)
SB: Christopher, and Helein (1)
IP: Hannafin (4.1)
Ks: Hannafin (3)

DU would play the host school Hendrix College in game two.

Game 2 Results:
Dominican: 7
Hendrix: 5

How it Happened:
-The Warriors got on the scoreboard first, scoring a run on a hit and an error by the DU defense.  
-The Stars answered back quickly with Graduate Student Grayson Downing knocking an RBI single to left centerfield. DU got one more with a balk by the Hendrix pitcher that allowed Senior Ryan Schmidt to score.  
-Schmidt added a sacrifice fly in the top of the 3^rd inning, making the score 3-1 in favor of Dominican.  
-The score remained 3-1 until the bottom of the 5^th when the Warriors got a run on two hits.  
-Hendrix would tie the game up at three in the 7^th inning, scoring a run on 3 hits.  
-The Stars regained the lead in the 8^th inning by scoring two runs on two hits. The first run was scored by a ball of the bat of Matthew Earley that was an error on the center fielder of Hendrix. This error allowed G. Downing to score. Junior Niko Krecu added the second run on a sacrifice fly to right field, and Junior Zach Helein scoring.
-The Warriors tied the game up in their half of the 8^th inning scoring 2 runs on 3 hits, and a Dominican error.
-The Junior transfer Earley delivered for the Stars, hitting what would end up being the game-winning hit with an RBI single to left field. Senior AJ Davies came around to score. DU would add an insurance run on a double steal by Earley being safe at second and G. Downing being safe at home.
-Junior Aaron O'Grady came in to close things out for Dominican and did just that, only allowing one base runner in the bottom of the 9^th.  

Shining Stars:
-Senior Rocco Chiarito notched the start for DU and had his best outing in a Stars uniform, going 7 innings with 2 strikeouts and only giving up 3 errors.
Graduate Student Grayson Downing found his swing in the game, going 3-5 with an RBI, a walk, and two runs scored. G. Downing added two stolen bases.
-Junior Niko Krecu continued his stellar day, going 2-4 with a walk, an RBI, and a run scored.
-Senior Ryan Schmidt made a great impression going 2-3 with a double, an RBI, a walk, and a run scored.  

Leading the Way:
Hits: G. Downing (3)
SB: G.Downing (2)
RBI: Earley, G, Downing, Krecu, and Schmidt (1)
2B: Schmidt (1)
HBP: Helein (2)
IP: Chiarito (7)
Ks: Chiarito (2)

What's Next:
The Dominican University baseball team will finish up their action in Arkansas tomorrow morning with game two against the host school Hendrix College. The first pitch between the Stars and the Warriors is set for 11:00 a.m.

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