FORT WORTH, Texas – The 17th ranked Texas Wesleyan baseball team (14-7, 1-0 SAC) grabbed a dominant 14-4 run-rule win over (RV) Southwestern Christian (11-6, 0-1 SAC) in the Sooner Athletics Conference opener at Sycamore Park on Friday afternoon.
The Rams posted a season-high 18 hits to start conference play with a postive step. The hit total was the highest since a 19-5 win over OPSU on May 5, 2019.
"The team has worked really well over the last week and they played well today," said head coach
Bobby Garza. "We were able to jump out to an early lead with Higgins' homer and that gave us confidence throughout the game."
Tanner Amaral led the charge, going 3-4 with three RBI and a pair of home runs. On the defensive side, the California native took a big hit covering the plate in the third, as SCU's Kash Walls tried to barrel over the Ram catcher, to no avail. Amaral got the out to cut down the go-ahead run at the plate.
Josh Brown (3-0) got the win and took all the wind out of the sails of the Eagles lineup in innings four through seven, allowing the Rams to sit back and crank out a season high 18 hits as a team. The senior from Utah went four innings, allowing just one unearned run on two hits. He struck out five in the win.
"Josh gave us some really solid innings," said Garza. "He was able to hold the lead for us and give our offense more opportunities to score runs that weren't under pressure."
The Rams took a 3-0 lead in the first inning after a
Michael Higgins blast over the left field wall, his seventh of the season.
"Michael has been great for us this year," added Garza. "He has taken advantage of his opportunities and his bat has been huge for our lineup.
The two teams were knotted up at 3-3 before the Rams strung together two big innings in the fourth and fifth. In the third, the Rams posted three extra base hits, including a pair of homers by
Tanner Amaral and Kevin Santiago.
Marcos Sanchez added a stand-up triple to right as well.
The fourth inning featured a triple down the left field line to start the inning.
Joaquin Ballesteros, Kevin Santiago, and Higgins contributed RBI hits for a healthy 10-4 lead.
Amaral launched his second home run of the game in the sixth. The 2-run shot gave the senior seven home runs on the season. That made it a 12-4 advantage. The Rams scored two more in the eighth, the run-rule activating game winner on a SCU fielding error.
Stetson McGrew, a freshman from Muenster, Texas posted three straight strikeouts in the top of the eighth in his second outing of the season.
Higgins went 2 for 4 with five RBI and a home run for the second straight game. Kevin Santiago went 2 for 4 and added three RBI to his ledger. Seven Texas Wesleyan hitters recorded more than one hit in the blowout.
This is the second consecutive game the Rams have produced four home runs as a team. TXWES is outscoring opponents 33-9 in the first inning this season.
The two teams will finish the conference series tomorrow in a doubleheader starting at noon at Sycamore Park.
