GRAND PRAIRIE, TX: The Texas Wesleyan University softball team (3-7) dropped the first two games of the North Texas Softball Bash on Friday. The Lady Rams lost a 2-0 battle to NCAA DII UT-Permian Basin (2-5) before dropping an 8-7 shootout with Eastern New Mexico University (6-5) at Jennifer McFalls Park.
 
In the game against UT Permain- Basin, both teams were deadlocked in a defensive battle with each pitcher limiting hits and keeping runners at bay on the base paths.
 
The Falcons got runners on first and second in the third inning. Irene Valdez hit a bloop single just over third base and UTPB looked to take the first run of the game, but Lauren Davis back-handed the ball on left field chalk and threw a bullet to Shelby Reddington to make the tag and get out of the inning unscathed.
 
Permian Basin loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth but this time Brianna Red and the Falcons delivered a two out, two run base hit to take a 2-0 lead after four innings of play.
 
The Lady Rams were held in check, and despite scattering six hits could not produce any runs. The Lady Rams were shut out of the seventh with only Prachyl reaching base on a walk, falling 2-0.
 
Kirkpatrick went 2 for 4, while a host of Lady Rams went 1 for 3 in the loss.
 
In the game versus Eastern New Mexico, The Lady Rams pounced on the Greyhounds in the top of the first inning with a two run rally capped with a Brittany Rosenberry double that hit the left field fence down the line. That made it a 2-0 Wesleyan edge early.
 
The Greyhounds got on the board in the second inning with a Natasha Kissell RBI single off the glove of a diving Mackenzie Kirkpatrick at second base. Texas Wesleyan could not get the final out of the inning before a three run home run that cleared the left center fence by Katie Ripple made it a 4-2 ENMU advantage.
 
Texas Wesleyan responded with a vengeance in the top of the third that started with a RBI double to left center. Rosenberry picked that spot in left center as well in the next at bat, but ball was a bit higher this time as it cleared the wall for a three run home run to help the Rams regain a 6-4 edge.
 
Eastern New Mexico got a run back in the bottom half of the inning with a Marleyna Pinon RBI single to shallow center field to cut the lead to a 6-5 Ram lead.
 
The Greyhounds wasted no time, tying the game at 6 apiece in the fourth inning on an Audrey Velasquez RBI triple in right center gap.
 
Texas Wesleyan responded again in the fifth to take the lead. The inning started with a Vasquez double to left center that set up a RBI from Lauren Davis to make it a 7-6 lead.
 
By no surprise to anyone at the park, the lead changed hands once again for the sixth time in the contest. Pinon came through for the Greyhounds again with a two RBI double in the left center gap for an 8-7 edge heading into the sixth
 
Eastern New Mexico did their job defensively in the seventh to escape the Lady Rams with an 8-7 win.
 
Rossenberry led the Lady Rams going 2 for 3 with a season high five RBI. Vasquez went 2 for 4 with one RBI and two runs scored.
 
The Lady Rams will continue on the North Texas Softball Bash tomorrow starting with another meeting with Clarke College at 2:00 pm, followed by a game versus the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 4:00 pm at Jennifer McFalls Park