FORT WORTH, TX: The Texas Wesleyan University baseball team (3-4) dropped an 11-8 decision against Avila University (2-2) at Sycamore Park on Sunday afternoon.
Defensive miscues cost the Rams game four of this five game series. The Rams scored eight on 14 hits, but stranded 10 runners. Meanwhile the Eagles scored 11 runs on just eight hits.
The Eagles scored first when a Texas Wesleyan error allowed two runs to score in the top of the second.
Quavian Lawson led off the bottom of the fourth with a double into the gap in left center.
Jonathan Bravo followed with a single up the middle, and the Rams were on the board. With one out,
Ryan Mendez plated Bravo with a double off the wall in left center, and the game was tied at 2-2.
Lawson added a two-out RBI single in the fifth that put the Rams on top 3-2.
Avila started the sixth with three straight hits. Kyle Simmons started things off with a double down the leftfield line. Stephen Montisano singled through the left side, and Brandon Chandler tied the game with a single through the right side. With the bases loaded and one out, Connor Zamorra came on in relief for the Rams. The lefty got three consecutive ground balls, but three consecutive Texas Wesleyan errors opened the door for seven more Avila runs.
The Rams answered offensively in the bottom of the sixth.
Jake Davis started the rally with a one-out double.
Rod Lewis plated Davis with a single. With two outs, Lawson ripped an RBI single and Bravo knocked in a pair with a double to cut the score to 10-7.
A passed ball put a runner in scoring position in the seventh for AU, and Anthony Zicarelli came through with a base hit that pushed the score to 11-7. Bravo led off the ninth with a base hit and capped the scoring at 11-8 when he scored on a ground ball from
Manny Sanchez.
Caleb Curry (1-0) picked up the win with 2.1 innings of relief work. He allowed just two hits while striking out two.
Stephen Yancey (0-2) took the loss after allowing five runs, two earned, on five hits in 5.1 innings of work.
Bravo went 4-for-5 at the plate with three RBI and two runs scored. Lawson added three hits in five trips to the plate along with two RBI and two runs scored. Lewis,
Jake Howeth,
Jose Martinez, and Davis each had a pair of hits as well for the Rams.
The fifth and final game of this series will be played at 12:00 p.m. on Monday at QuikTrip Park in Grand Prairie, TX.
Ramblings
- This was the first career four-hit game for Bravo, who is batting .368 (7-19) this season.
- Lawson currently leads the team in AVG at .533 (8-15), while Lewis leads the team with 10 hits.
- The Rams are now 3-4 all-time vs. Avila.
