Box Score 1 | Box Score 2




FORT WORTH, TX: The Texas Wesleyan University baseball team (27-12, 11-6 RRAC) picked up a rather easy win 6-1 and a comeback win 5-4 in a doubleheader against Huston-Tillotson University (9-33, 4-13 RRAC) at LaGrave Field on Friday.
 
Huston-Tillotson threatened in the first after back to back singles that had eyes put runner on first and second with only one away. A questionable safe call on a double steal put two runners in scoring position, but Derek Vaughn struck out the side to get out of the inning.
 
The Rams got things going in the third inning after a Henry Yates line drive single to right field set up a perfectly executed hit and run play on a Trevor Moon liner to straight away right field to put runner at the corners with no outs. David Kiriakos drew a walk to load the bases, and Jake Howeth followed suit to walk home a RBI to break the scoreless tie. Charles Tabone hit fielder’s choice RBI to make to a 2-0 lead.
 
Texas Wesleyan added to the lead in the fourth inning after a Dusty Harper double to deep left center up a second and third situation with no outs. Yates put a fly ball deep enough into right to advance both runners for a sacrifice RBI. Kiriakos singled through the left side for a RBI and a 4-0 lead.
 
Huston-Tillotson pitcher Izaiah Guerrero got into some trouble by walking the bases loaded in the fifth. Yates lined a base hit to straight away center, driving in two runs and extending the lead, 6-0.
 
Huston-Tillotson got a run back in the seventh inning off of a Daniel San Miguel RBI single up the middle, but that did not turn into a rally as Texas Wesleyan takes game one 6-1.
 
Vaughn (5-2) earned the win in 6.1 scoreless innings thrown. He scattered three hits, surrendered two walks while striking out four.
 
Huston-Tillotson took a 2-0 lead in the second after Tim Ford got the inning started with a double to left center. Vincente Rodriguez drew a walk, and a wild pitch advanced the runner to second and third with two away. Adam Chatman hit a 2 RBI line drive single up the middle for a 2-0 lead.
 
HTU picked up another run in the third inning with an Eric Aldava RBI single up the middle as the HTU Rams were finding all the gaps in the early goings of game two. Sean Simonz had to leave the game due to injury, and Cory Bafidis came in to the game in relief. Bafidis got a double play in his first batter, but another run scored to make it a 4-0 game.
 
Yates continued his hot streak, breaking the shutout with a home run well over the left field fence to make it a 4-1 game.
 
Texas Wesleyan started a rally in the fifth after back to back singles to right center by Alex Padilla and Dakota Lee made way for Kiriakos to move the runners on a sacrifice bunt. Howeth got the RBI on a 6-3 putout. Brian White found a hole through the left side for a RBI single, and the run producing Yates tied the game at 4-4 with a RBI double to beat the center fielder.
 
Joel Rickman broke the tie with an authoritative exclamation in the next inning with a line drive home run to left field that left the park in a hurry.
 
Nolan Barbee put in three innings of strong work out of the bullpen giving up no runs, on hits, walking two, and striking out four to hold the lead.
 
Patrick Stanley secured the last two out to earn his tenth save of the season for the Rams.
 
Bafidis (2-1) got the win in 3.1 innings pitched on no runs, two hits, one walk, and two strikeouts.
 
Yates led the Rams and went 4-6 with five RBI on the day. Kiriakos went 2-5 with two RBI for the Rams.
 
The two teams will finish the series tomorrow with one nine inning game at LaGrave Field starting at noon.