SHAWNEE, OK: The Texas Wesleyan University baseball team (16-12, 8-2 SAC) swept a Sooner Athletic Conference doubleheader at St. Gregory's University (6-24, 1-9 SAC) on Sunday. The Rams took game one 6-0 and game two 13-2.
The Rams took advantage of an SGU error (one of eight on the day) to score a run in the first inning without benefit of a hit. That was all the support that
Mitch McLeod would need as he used just 88 pitches to blank the Cavs for seven innings.
Texas Wesleyan added an RBI double from
Jake Howeth in the third and an RBI grounder from
Ryan Mendez in the fourth. In the sixth inning,
Jonathan Bravo, Mendez, and Garett Crook drove in runs in succession. Bravo ripped an RBI double, Mendez lifted a sac fly to right, and Crook singled in a run to push the score to 6-0.
McLeod (4-3) allowed no runs on just four hits and two walks while striking out seven in the complete game effort. Vicente Rodas (3-6) allowed six runs, five earned, on seven hits and two walks in six innings pitched.
In game two, the Rams were aided by two SGU errors while plating three runs in the top of the first. An RBI single from Howeth in the second pushed the lead to 4-0.
SGU's Logan Hart and Noah Markel started the third inning with back-to-back singles in the third and both runners later scored to cut the deficit in half.
Howeth got both of those runs back when he ripped a two-run double in the top of the fourth. The Rams loaded the bases with nobody out in the fifth and plated three runs with a walk to
Rod Lewis and a two-run single from
Dylan Measells.
An RBI single from
Hayden Muns brought the score to 10-2 in the sixth. In the seventh, the Rams added an RBI single from
Quavian Lawson, an RBI single from Muns, and an RBI groundout from
Nathaniel Dillon.
Jonathan Morin (2-1) earned the win with four scoreless innings of relief work. He allowed no hits and no walks while striking out one.
Alex Lopez allowed two runs on four hits in three innings pitched but received no decision. Scott Tali (0-7) took the loss after allowing six runs, two earned on seven hits in 3.1 innings of work.
Dusteyn Suttle, Howeth, Lawson, Muns, and Measells each had a pair of Texas Wesleyan's 13 hits. Howeth and Muns both drove in three in the game-two win.
The Rams and Cavs will complete their three-game SAC series on Monday. That contest is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. start.
Ramblings
- The Rams are now 4-1 all-time vs. St. Gregory's and 23-14 in SAC play.
-
Jake Howeth has hit safely in 10 consecutive games and reached base in 13 consecutive games.
- McLeod lowered his season ERA to 1.65 and has struck out 49 batters in 43.2 innings.
