Box Score Box Score

FORT WORTH, TX:  The Texas Wesleyan University baseball team (16-6) took a 5-2 win over UT-Dallas (8-8) at LaGrave Field on Tuesday.
 
Taylor Jockers led off the first inning with a base hit.  Two batters later Alex Padilla singled to load the bases for Justin Barnes who delivered a two-run double off of the left field wall.  The Rams added one more score on a wild pitch to lead 3-0.
 
The Comets looked to answer in the top of the second with runners at the corners and one down, but Nolan Barbee induced an inning-ending double-play grounder to second.
 
UTD got on the board in the fifth inning.  Micah Easterling led off with a single and later scored from second when a liner off the bat of Jacob Starnes was just out of the reach of a diving Barnes at first base.  Brandon Clounch added an RBI single to bring the Comets within a run at 3-2.
 
Brian Lyons came on in relief of Barbee in the sixth inning and pitched around a leadoff double, stranding Jake Wyand who represented the tying run at third base.
 
In the seventh, Joel Horton led off with a base hit, stole second, and advanced to third on a sac bunt from Hunter Robinson, but UTD’s Zach Dickson denied the Rams an insurance run by retiring the next two batters in order.
 
In the following frame, the Comets found themselves with a runner at third with one out after Wyand ripped a leadoff double and moved to second on a sacrifice from Zak Anderson.  This time Patrick Stanley was up to the task, working out of the jam with a grounder to third and a fly to right.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, a single from Padilla and another double from Barnes put runners at second and third for Joseph Lassiter who delivered a two-run single up the middle to stretch Texas Wesleyan’s lead to 5-2.  Stanley came back out in the ninth and locked up his first save of the year.
 
Barbee (2-1) earned the win after allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out five in five innings of work.  Brandon Clounch took the loss after allowing three runs on three hits in the first inning.
 
Barnes finished at 3-for-4 on the day with two doubles, two RBI, and a run scored.  Padilla also notched a 2-for-4 day at the plate.
 
The Rams are back in action on Wednesday, when they host the University of Dallas.  That game is scheduled for a 2:30 p.m. start at LaGrave Field.