GRAND PRAIRIE, TX: The Texas Wesleyan University baseball team (18-23, 10-8 SAC) took a 1-0 Sooner Athleitc Conference win over Southwestern Christian University (19-19, 8-11 SAC) as TWU senior
Mitch McLeod outdueled SCU freshman Jason Braziel at QuikTrip Park.
McLeod made a perfect first trip through the Eagle batting order before hitting Logan Palmer leading off the fourth inning. He walked Corey Cupp in the fifth inning, but promptly picked him off of first base.
McLeod, a senior from Troy, AL, carried his no-hitter into the seventh inning. After hitting Andrew Walker to put the leadoff man on base, Michael Lowe tried to lay down a bunt but was called out for making contact outside of the box. The Eagles then changed tact and tried to steal second. Haskell Browning dribbled a ball to second base, but legged out an infield hit as
Rod Lewis was covering second. McLeod then struck out Zach Graham and induced a groundball to end the inning.
Meanwhile, Braziel, who was making his first collegiate start, was nearly as impressive. He worked around a two-out triple from
Jake Davis in the second and a two-out ground-rule double from
Quavian Lawson in the third. The freshman from Magnolia, TX, erased a walk to
Dylan Measells in the fourth and a double from Measells in the seventh with inning ending double-plays.
With the game still scoreless in the bottom of the eighth Davis was hit by a pitch to put the leadoff man on for the Rams.
Jonathan Bravo followed with a base hit through the left side and Davis scampered all the way to third when Braziel did not cover the vacated bag.
Garrett Crook then laid down a safety squeeze. Braziel made a nice glove scoop to the plate, but Davis slid just under the tag with the game's only run.
McLeod got two quick outs in the ninth, but the Eagles got sharp singles from Lowe and Browning to put the tying run in scoring position before a grounder to second ended the game.
McLeod (5-5) allowed three hits, a walk and hit two batters while striking out seven in nine innings. He used 97 pitches to record the complete-game shutout. Braziel (0-1), who was making his seventh collegiate appearance, went eight innings, surrendering a run on four hits a walk and a hit batter while striking out eight.
The two teams will complete their three-game Sooner Athletic Conference series with a doubleheader at QuikTrip Park on Saturday. Game one has been moved up to an 11:00 a.m. start.
Ramblings
- McLeod lowered his ERA to 1.96 and his opponent batting average to .157.
- Braziel lowered his ERA to 1.23 and his opponent batting average to .167.
- This was the third career shutout for McLeod including a no-hitter at Mid-America Christian University last season.
- The Rams are now 4-0 all-time against Southwestern Christian and 25-20 in SAC play.
