GRAND PRAIRIE, TX: The Texas Wesleyan University softball team (5-7) got back in the win column with an 8-7 win over the University of Arkansas-Pine Pluff (4-2) before shutting out Clarke College (2-4) in a 6-0 win in day two of the North Texas Softball Bash on Saturday.
 
In the game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, The Golden Lions started off the top of the first with five consecutive hits from the first five players in the lineup, resulting in a 4-0 lead.
 
The Lady Rams responded with a rally of their own in the next half inning. Two walks led to Samantha Vasquez base hit through the left side to load the bases.  Brittany Rosenberry sliced a rocket into the right center gap that went all the way to fence to allow the runners on first and second to score for a 2 RBI double. Mackenzie Kirkpatrick powered a ball to shortstop for a base hit RBI. Lauren Davis hit a bloop shot to no man's land down the right field line for a stand up RBI double. The rally was capped by Corrina Palomino hammered shot that bounce over the third base player for a RBI single to take a 5-4 lead in a five hit inning.
 
The Lady Rams produced a pair of runs in the bottom of second to extend the lead. Kayla Prachyl led off the inning with a base hit that snuck up the middle for a single. Batchlear laid down a nice sacrifice bunt to move the runner into scoring position. With two outs, Vasquez hit a ball that had eyes for a RBI single through the left side, before Rosenberry followed that up with a RBI base knock up the middle to make it a 7-4 game heading to the third.
 
Prachyl knocked in another run in the third with after a Hannah Tomme single led to the Lady Ram centerfielder knocking a shot into center field for a run to make it an 8
-4 advantage.
 
The Golden Lions put together a two run fourth with back to back RBI base hits to cut the lead to 8-6 Texas Wesleyan.
 
Arkansas-Pine Bluff grabbed another run in the sixth to make it a one run game at 8-7. The Lady Rams committed two errors in the inning that led to the score.  
 
Texas Wesleyan clamped down in the top of the seventh to edge the Golden Lions, 8-7 Rosenberry went 2 for 3 with three RBI. Vasquez went 2 for 4 with a RBI and a run scored in the win.
 
Rosenberry (1-2) got the win. She worked seven innings giving up three runs (two earned), on five hits with a pair of strikeouts.
 
In the game versus Clarke College, the two teams played two scoreless innings before the Lady Rams exploded in the third with a monster rally.
 
Texas Wesleyan batted around in the bottom of the third, getting three consecutive hits with the third being a Kaley Batchlear two bagger down the left line that scored a pair. Wesleyan continued with a Vasquez two RBI smash to left field. Lauren Davis capped the run going the opposite way with a two RBI single planted in the right-center gap to make a 6-0 lead.
 
Amanda Windham (3-3) did masterful work on the mound to get the win. The senior dominated the plate while getting solid defense behind her. She threw all seven innings in the shutout, allowing just two hits, two walks, and tallied three strikeouts.
 
Vasquez went 2 for 4 with two RBI. Davis went 2 for 3 with a pair of RBI. Batchlear went 1 for 3 with one RBI.
 
"So far every game we have been answering back with runs," commented head coach Shannon Gower. "It was big for us to keep and gain that momentum and finally have it work in our favor. Amanda Windham's leadership is huge for us. All of our pitchers are so different. To see her (Windham) get a shutout and shut a team that we have faced three times in the last few days was awesome. I'm excited to carry the momentum over to tomorrow"
 
The Lady Rams will finish out the North Texas Softball Bash with a game against Bethany College tomorrow at 10:00am at Jennifer McFalls Park.