FORT WORTH, TX: The Texas Wesleyan University softball team (3-2) went 2-1 in the first day of the 2017 Cowtown Classic at Gateway Park on Friday. The Rams topped Oklahoma Wesleyan University (0-1) 6-4 in extra innings, before taking a 9-1 win in six innings versus McPherson College (0-2). Wesleyan dropped the nightcap 9-7 to Columbia College (2-1).   
 
Texas Wesleyan and the other 18 teams in the round robin tourney fought against winds over 20 mph, making for some interesting ball physics all day.
 
The Lady Rams, who were the visiting team in the first game of the day against Oklahoma Wesleyan University, got on top of the Eagles in the second inning. Mackenzie Kirkpatrick worked the count to earn a base on balls before Corrina Palomino sent a pitch just inside the left field line for a stand up double. With runners in scoring position and one out, Shelby Reddington laid down a beautiful bunt for a RBI single for a 1-0 lead.
 
Texas Wesleyan added another to their total in the third, starting with Dani Jackson beating the throw on an infield slap single. Jackson quickly swiped second before Kayla Prachyl put runners at the corners with a base hit that skipped through the left side. Lauren Gunter followed that with a sacrifice fly to right field to make it a 2-0 game.
 
The Rams got back-to-back hits in the fifth to make it a 3-0 advantage. Bailey Terry caught the third baseman playing deep with a dribbler for the first single. Lauren Gunter hit a liner to left center, and a throwing error allowed Terry to score.
 
The Eagles put together a three run rally in the bottom half of the fifth to even the score. Jayci Wang tattooed a ball to the left field fence for a one out triple before Kiana Blank reached on a fielder's choice play. Blank took second before to set up a Michaela Shouldis RBI single through the left side for the first run. Two more runs would score on a Ram throwing error to knot things up at 3-3.
 
The Lady Rams turned the Eagles away in the bottom of the seventh and the two teams took the tie to extra innings. Hannah Tomme entered the game to run at second and advanced to third on a passed ball to put TXWES in a favorable position with none away in the top of the eighth. Brittany Rosenberry delivered in a pinch hit situation with a single through the left side to break the tie for a 4-3 lead.
 
Oklahoma Wesleyan responded with a run in the bottom of the eighth to stay alive. Brittany Howard moved runners to second and third to set up an Anna Southerland sacrifice fly to mid center to force a ninth inning.
 
The Lady Rams put together a two run inning on effectively executed small ball. Jackson put down a first pitch bunt single and advanced on a throwing error that also allowed one run to score. Prachyl moved the runner to third before Terry knocked in the second run on another infield single for a 6-4 lead.
 
Lauren Wernet (2-0) punched out the final batter in the bottom of the ninth to secure her second win of the season. Wernet tossed all nine, gave up four runs, only one was earned, limited the Eagles to five hits, walked three, and sat down eight.
 
In the game versus McPherson, the Lady Rams put up crooked numbers in four straight innings to take a 9-1 win in six innings. A wind-aided error setup a RBI groundout from Chelsea Conrad to give the Bulldogs an early 1-0 lead.
 
Momentum changed hands after a three hit third inning put Wesleyan up 2-1. Gunter knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly to center field, and the throw home from the outfield was misplayed to allow another run to cross the plate for the lead.
 
Demi Dotson plated a run to start the fourth inning, followed by a RBI stand up triple deep down the left field line by Prachyl for a 4-1 edge.
 
The Rams added two more in the fifth that started with a Terry double in the gap in right center. Shelby Reddington scored the run on a RBI sacrifice bunt before Hannah Tomme made it 6-1 on a RBI groundout to second.
 
The Rams capitalized on the Bulldogs struggling at the plate with a three run sixth that activated the run-rule. Mackenzie Kirkpatrick started the inning with a base hit to center before two illegal pitches allowed a run to score. Rosenberry hit one deep enough to center to bring a run home on a RBI sacrifice. Terry stayed hot with a double to left before Reddington ended the game on a RBI single down the left field line for a 9-1 win.  
 
Rosenberry was lights out in her first appearance of the season. The senior worked five innings, gave up one run (none earned) on no hits, and sat down six.
 
In the final game of the day with Columbia College, the Rams posted a run in the second inning after a favorable bounce off the glove of a diving first baseman on a two out rip by Kayla Prachyl. Wesleyan left the bases loaded in the inning, but held a 1-0 edge after one and a half complete.
 
TXWES got in a pickle in the bottom half of the inning as the Cougars used four hit inning to gain a 3-1 lead. Rachel Sullivan plated a run with a bases loaded RBI single to a diving Dotson before Carly Spalding did the same on a worm burner up the middle that score two more to take the lead.
 
The Cougars extended their lead with a five run rally in the third. Columbia batted all nine and notched two triples including a two RBI three bagger to left center by Theresa DeCosty after Spalding plated two with ground rule double shot to left field for an 8-1 advantage.
 
The Cougars added a run before Gunter blasted a RBI single to center to start the fifth inning. Rosenberry followed that up with a RBI base hit through the left side to cut into the lead at 9-3.
 
The Rams found new life in the top of the sixth after four run, five hit inning. Jackson delivered a two RBI hit up the middle Gunter blasted a moon shot well over the left center fence for two more. The Ram defense held strong to keep it at 9-7 Columbia heading into the seventh.
 
The Rams made it tough for Cougar closer Paxton Welch, getting the tying run to the plate after a Tomme single through the left side, but fell just short of the comeback.
 
Prachyl went 7 for 12 on the day with two RBI, three runs scored, and three stolen bases. Jackson went 4 for 10 with two RBI, 4 runs scored, and three stolen bases. Gunter went 4 for 10 with a home run, five RBI, and three runs scored.
 
The Lady Rams will play Bethel College at 1 p.m. and Houston-Victoria at 3 p.m. in the final day of the Cowtown Classic.