FORT WORTH, TX: The 20th ranked Texas Wesleyan University baseball team (32-13, 18-7 SAC) scored two runs in the bottom of the ninth to win a back-and-forth affair with Mid-America Christian University (18-32, 7-18 SAC) by a final score of 11-10 in the opener of a three-game Sooner Athletic Conference series at Sycamore Park on Friday.
MACU struck first when doubles from Junior Aracena and Axel Poesmans led to two runs in the top of the second. Meanwhile, the Rams stranded runners at second in third in the first and second innings.
Jacob Barfield got Texas Wesleyan on the board when he led off the fourth with a no-doubter to left. After
Ted Wisdom reached on an error,
Julio Ibarra delivered another long-ball to give the Rams a 3-2 lead. Three more MACU fielding errors kept the inning alive for an RBI knock from
Michael Davila that gave the Rams a 2-run edge.
MACU came back with a run in the fifth. In the bottom of the inning, MACU pitcher Keisy Portorreal, who was miffed by
Julio Ibarra's home run in the previous inning, intentionally threw behind the Rams' designated hitter and both benches were officially warned by the home plate umpire.
In the sixth, a Texas Wesleyan error contributed to a three-run inning that put the Evangels back on top at 6-4.
The Rams got one run back in the sixth with a pair of doubles from
Logan Bistrup and
Donnie Lopez.
Cory Gallegos led off the seventh with a double, and
Ted Wisdom delivered an RBI single to knot the game at six. With two outs,
Brooks Wallace untied the game with a pinch-hit RBI single.
The Evangels came right back and loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth and went on to plate four runs on four hits and two errors to regain a 10-7 advantage.
Menendez made it 10-9 with his NAIA-best 21st home run in the bottom of the eighth.
In the ninth, Ibarra ripped a leadoff single and Wallace drew a walk. Bistrup then laid down a bunt single, loading the bases with nobody out.
Michael Davila drew a four-pitch walk to tie the game, and Lopez followed with a walk-off single up the middle.
The Rams outhit the Evangels 17-15 in a wild game at Sycamore Park.
Donnie Lopez and
Ted Wisdom both went 3-for-5 at the plate, while Davila, Menendez, Ibarra, and Bistrup all had a pair of hits.
Dusty Cloud worked a scoreless ninth inning to improve to 2-0 on the season. Gustavo Escobar (0-2) allowed four runs on four hits and a walk in an inning of relief work.
The Rams and Evangels will complete their SAC series with a doubleheader on Saturday. Game one is scheduled for a 12:00 p.m. start at Sycamore Park. In between games of the doubleheader, Texas Wesleyan will celebrate Senior Day as they honor 13 outstanding seniors.
Ramblings
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Kiki Menendez's home run was his 21st of the season. That leads the NAIA nationally and is just four shy of matching the Texas Wesleyan single season record of 25 held by Randy Foyt (1984) and Dave Griffin (1982).
- The Rams are now 12-3 all-time against MACU while they improved to 80-38 all-time in SAC play.
- The Rams have scored at least 10 runs 16 times this season and are 15-1 in those games.
