FORT WORTH, TX - Texas Wesleyan Baseball (18-12, 4-3 SAC) can thank the rain. Not any rain that came Thursday, but the rain scheduled to come through this weekend. The impending weather moved the first two games of the series with Mid-America Christian (21-10, 0-5 SAC) up to a Thursday afternoon start, just hours before the Sooner Athletic Conference announced it was suspending play and practices of all athletic programs due to COVID-19. TXWES played two focused games with 2-0 and 7-2 triumphs. You can read the full SAC release here.

In Game 1, Jesse Ramirez was essential to the win on the mound, pitching the full seven frames with only two hits allowed and six strikeouts. The two runs came in the third inning thanks to a throwing error by the first baseman and the pair of unearned runs ultimately were the difference in the game. MACU's Jaily Paredes and Frensly Leito split time on the mound, also only giving up two hits. 

The two hits in a victory were the least amount while picking up a win in at least the last 14 years - as far back as game-by-game data was readily available. The offense stole five bases (tied for the most this season), including Kaden Brown and Marcos Sanchez' steals in the critical third inning, putting the Rams in a position to score off of any miscalculation, which - with two outs - the Evangels presented. 

In the second game, Michael Higgins and Joaquin Ballesteros helped separate MACU from TXWES after the Evangels tied the game at two runs apiece in the top of the fifth. Just three batters later, Higgins cracked his 10th home run over the fence in left-center field - a two-run homer. After Sanchez was hit by a pitch and stole second, Ballesteros smacked a double down the right field line to bring in another run. Texas Wesleyan piled on two more scores in the sixth and pitcher Cameron Calhoun came in to close with a pair of strikeouts.

While Gabriel Seqeria gave up eight hits, he also struck out nine batters in six full innings of work. He goes into the uncertainty of suspended play as the conference's leader in strikeouts with 82 strikeouts in 47 innings.

Student-athletes hope to return to action once the pandemic is showing signs of subsiding. Until then, what is most important is that all students stay healthy and out of harms way. One thing is for certain: the Rams played some of their best baseball of the season before leaving the field Thursday and go into the break with positive momentum. The two wins run the Rams' record to 9-2 against the Evangels in the last 11 meetings.