CHICKASHA, OK: The Texas Wesleyan University baseball team (14-12, 6-1 SAC) split a Sooner Athletic Conference doubleheader at the University of Science & Arts (14-13, 3-7 SAC) on Sunday. The Rams took game on 5-2 before falling 3-2 in extra innings in game two. Texas Wesleyan took the SAC series two games to one.
In game one on Sunday,
Dusteyn Suttle ripped a leadoff single, stole second, advanced to third on a
Tyler Kamtz single, and scored on a sac fly from
Quavian Lawson to give
Pasqual Mendoza an early lead.
Jose Martinez doubled in the fourth inning and scored on a single from
Jake Davis.
Jake Howeth led off the fifth with a single, stole second, and scored on a single from Kamtz to stretch the lead to 3-0.
The Drovers finally cracked the scoreboard against Mendoza in the fifth. Cesar Figuero and Blake Scanell started the inning with back-to-back singles and Andrew Landin followed with an RBI double. An RBI groundout from Colton Baker brought USAO back within a run at 3-2.
A two-out two-run single from
Ryan Mendez in the seventh gave the Rams a cushion at 5-2.
Mendoza (2-0) tossed all seven innings allowing only two runs on six hits in the win. Alsis Herrera (3-4) allowed five runs on 13 hits as Texas Wesleyan outhit USAO 14-6.
Suttle (2-for-4), Howeth (3-for-4), and Kamtz (2-for-2) combined to go 7-for-10 at the plate out of the top three spots in the Rams' batting order.
Game two saw the Drovers score first, taking advantage of the lone Texas Wesleyan error of the day to score in the first inning. The Rams rallied with two outs in the third inning. Consecutive singles from Suttle, Howeth, and Kamtz tied the game at 1-1.
That was all the scoring allowed by Texas Wesleyan's
Colton Clanton,
EJ Alejandre, and
Connor Zamora and USAO's Jose Flores and Isaac Rodriguez through the scheduled seven innings.
In the ninth inning,
Nathaniel Dillon singled, stole second and moved to third on a double from
Jake Davis. A sac fly from Howeth put the Rams on top 2-1.
Joe Black was hit by a pitch to lead off the bottom of the ninth. The Drovers bunted Black to second, and he advanced to third on a wild pitch. Freddie Jiminez drew a one-out walk to set the table for Scannell who delivered a two-run walk-off double and a 3-2 Drover victory.
Trevor Settles (3-3) earned the win with 0.2 innings of scoreless relief.
Avery Sullivan (2-1) took the loss after allowing his first two earned runs and only his fourth and fifth hits of the season in 2.1 innings of work.
Suttle, Martinez, and Dillon each had a pair of hits in the loss.
The Rams will return to action Friday and Saturday with a three-game SAC series at St. Gregory's University. Friday's doubleheader is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. start in Shawnee, OK.
Ramblings
- The Rams are 4-3 all-time against USAO, 21-14 in SAC play, and 2-1 vs. St. Gregory's.
- Sullivan has made 10 appearances this season (14 IP). He is 2-1 with 4 saves and a 1.29 ERA after allowing three runs, two earned, on five hits and surrendering an opponent batting average of .106.
- With four hits on Sunday, Suttle raised his AVG to .397.
- Howeth extended his hitting streak to eight games. He has reached base in 11 consecutive games.
