FORT WORTH, TX: The Texas Wesleyan University baseball team (7-10, 1-1 SAC) split a Sooner Athletic Conference doubleheader with Mid-America Christina University (7-10-1, 1-3 SAC) at QuikTrip Park on Saturday. MACU took game one, 3-1 before the Rams replied with an 8-5 win in game two.
In game one, The Evangels got on the board first when they loaded the bases with consecutive singles from Chevin Noone, Reggie Lindsey, and Aron Conway. Daniel Thompson knocked in a run with a ground ball, and Conway scored on a wild pitch.
Mitch McLeod settled down and struck out seven in a row before Matt Cruz flied to
Dusteyn Suttle in right field to end the fourth inning.
The Rams put runners at second and third with one out in the fourth, but Martin Nolasco got a strikeout and a groundout to get out of the jam with no damage done.
In the seventh,
Rod Lewis drew a leadoff walk and later scored on a groundout from Suttle to break up the shutout. The Rams put the tying run on base, but Wyatt Glasgow came on to record the final out for the Evangels.
Nolasco (4-0) allowed a run on six hits while striking out seven in 6.2 innings. Glasgow picked up his fourth save of the season. McLeod (2-3) took the loss after allowing three runs, two earned on five hits while striking out a season-high 10 in six innings of work.
The Rams struck first in game two.
Jake Howeth ripped a one-out triple in the bottom of the first and scored on a sac fly from
Tyler Kamtz. Suttle then singled and scored to make it 2-0.
Ben Russelll did not allow a hit in his first trip through the MACU order, but Daniel Thompson laid down a bunt single to start the fourth inning. Things unraveled from there as four straight Evangels reached base, and a Texas Wesleyan error contributed to a 5-run inning.
The Rams got one run back in the fourth when
Jonathan Bravo singled and scored. In the sixth inning, Texas Wesleyan loaded the bases with one out.
Matt Horn drew a two-out walk to bring in a run, and
Nathaniel Dillon followed with a two-run single that gave the Rams a 6-5 lead.
Rod Lewis followed with an infield single that scored both Horn and
Matt Hexter to push the score to 8-5. All five runs in the inning crossed the plate with two outs.
Avery Sullivan (2-0) worked three innings in the win. He allowed no runs on two hits while striking out one. Russell allowed three earned runs in four innings while striking out six. Zach Charley (0-1) took the loss after allowing four runs, three earned on two hits and two walks in a third of an inning.
The Rams and Evangels will complete their three-game series with a game at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday. That game will be followed by Texas Wesleyan taking on Peru State College at QuikTrip Park.
Ramblings
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Nathaniel Dillon went 2-for-3 with the game-winning hit in his collegiate debut.
- The Rams eight-run outburst came on the heels of scoring just three runs in their previous four games.
- Suttle continues to lead the Rams in AVG at .469 (15-32).
- McLeod leads the Rams with 31 srikeouts in 28 innings pitched while notching a 2.57 ERA.
- Sullivan has not allowed a run in his first six appearances (8.1 IP) and opposing batters are hitting just .100 against him.
