MCPHERSON, KS - Texas Wesleyan Softball (21-23, 16-12 SAC) has won 13 of its last 17 games, losing only to No. 1 University of Science and Arts-Oklahoma and No. 2 Oklahoma City University, during that stretch. The winning ways continued with two wins over Central Christian Wednesday afternoon, 9-1 (six innings) in Game 1 and 12-8 in Game 2. The run now has TXWES locked in a tie with Southwest Assemblies of God for the No. 3 spot in the SAC, after the two split tilts in Waxahachie earlier this season. The two will meet again in Fort Worth during Senior Weekend.

During Tuesday's doubleheader, Bailey Terry's two home runs, Lacy Mann's shutout and Darian Dunn's timely hitting headlined. While some more Lady Rams joined the heroics Wednesday, the aforementioned trio were at it again against the Tigers on the back half of the four-game series.

In the first of Wednesday's meetings, with the Lady Rams up 4-1 in the fifth, Mann launched a home run over left field - her first home run of the season. Mann, the team's batting average leader (.402) now has a hit in six-straight outings, her longest streak of her sophomore stretch. Overall Wednesday, Mann went 3-for-7 with the RBI. Terry found the grass behind the fence too, once again past left field, on a full count in the top of the sixth to bring in Kylie Summers, who reached on a double to deep left-center. 

The shot was responsible for two of the four runs scored in the frame that helped the Lady Rams win the shortened battle. Makenna Aycock earned one of her four strikeouts against the second-to-last batter faced to put the Tigers away.

Summers hit 2-for-4 with 3 RBI in Game 1 and 3-for-4 with a RBI in Game 2, her first back-to-back multiple hit streak against the same opponent since delivering a a 4-for-7 performance against Mid-America Christian March 23. Summers hit two singles and a double in Game 2 and scored on Taylor Sutton's single in the top of the seventh - the critical inning that helped preserve the season sweep. Texas Wesleyan had a tough time putting away the upset-minded Tigers, who were no doubt tired of seeing TXWES across from them at this point.

After a slow offensive start for both teams - 1-0 Rams after three innings - the Tigers scored two, two and four runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to trim the deficit to one run, 9-8. But with ice in the veins, Savannah Brixey led-off the seventh with a single down the middle and then scored on a Tiger error - a wild throw from first as Brixey advanced on a ground ball. Summers then stepped up with her single and Terry was walked. 

Then Dunn delivered again. Fresh off her first multi-hit performance of the season Tuesday, Dunn singled to score Terry, giving the Lady Rams a four-run cushion. Dunn was 2-for-4 in Game 2 and had a hit in Wednesday's first tilt - bringing her consecutive hit games to four.

The two teams combined for 25 hits and 20 runs in the final meeting, the most combined runs and the second most combined hits in a seven-inning game (26; vs. Our Lady of the Lake; March 27, 2019) this year.

WHAT'S NEXT
The 14-game road trip comes to an end April 20 when the Lady Rams meet Mid-America Christian in Oklahoma City. A doubleheader against Langston on the road, postponed due to weather, still has not been rescheduled but could factor into the Rams' seeding, with Texas Wesleyan a half game ahead of the MACU Evangels. Langston is 6-20 and is 1.5 games behind Central Christian in the program's attempt to qualify for the SAC Tournament.