FORT WORTH, TX: The Texas Wesleyan University softball team (1-1) split the day against Ottawa University (1-1) on opening day at Sycamore Park on Friday. The Lady Rams started the season off with a 3-1 win before the Braves took an 8-3 win in game two.
 
Gower, now in her 13th season at Wesleyan, became the winningest coach in program history in 2009. In 2012, she led the Lady Rams to their first national tournament appearance since 1984. Gower also had five consecutive seasons with at least 20 wins, and two conference championships. Last season, the Rams upset #1 Oklahoma City University to advance to the SAC tournament championship.  
 
The Lady Rams took an early lead in game one and protected it behind sharp pitching from Lauren Wernet (1-0). The junior righty went the distance, giving up just one run on nine hits, with one walk, and four strikeouts.
 
Kayla Prachyl led off the season with an infield single to shortstop. Dani Jackson beat out a bunt single that found a hole big enough for Prachyl to score from second. Jackson stole second, then third, wasting no time to put herself on third. Shelby Reddington continued the small ball offensive with another bunt single that scored Jackson for an early 2-0 lead.
  Texas Wesleyan added an insurance run in the sixth as Mackenzie Kirkpatrick and Corrina Palomino smashed a pair of base hits to the outfield to put runners on the corners. Lauren Gunter laid down a RBI bunt single to make it a 3-0 ball game.
 
The Braves got one back in the top of the seventh with a Kori Lacey RBI single down the left field line, but the Rams shut down Ottawa University to secure the win.
 
Kirkpatrick went 2 for 3 with a run scored. Reddington went 1 for 2 with one RBI. Jackson went 1 for 4 with one RBI, a run scored, and two stolen bases.
 
In game two, the Braves took an advantage in the first with four runs on two hits and two errors. Ottawa added three more in the third to take a commanding 7-0 advantage.
 
TXWES got on the board in the fourth after Palomino beat the third baseman to score Hannah Tomme. Samantha Vasquez knocked a base hit into center field to set up a Prachyl RBI single past the pitcher up the middle to make it a 7-2 game. The Rams added a run in the sixth, but could not spark a rally and fell 8-3 in game two.
 
Demi Dotson went 2 for 2 in the win. Prachyl was 2 for 4 with one RBI. Bailey Terry went 2 for 3 for the Lady Rams.
 
Texas Wesleyan will get set for the 2017 Cowtown Classic at Gateway Park. The round robin event will start on Friday, February 10 when the Lady Rams take on Oklahoma Wesleyan at 11 a.m. before playing McPherson College at 1 p.m. and Columbia College at 5 p.m.