DALLAS – The Texas Wesleyan baseball team (6-6) dropped two games to Sterling College (2-5) at Oates Field presented by Papa Johns on Saturday. The Rams fell 8-7 in a thrilling game one before running out of time in a 4-1 loss in game two.
Head coach
Bobby Garza with his thoughts on the series with Sterling, "We show signs of a really good team and that's exciting, but we need to play better, consistent baseball. Credit to Sterling for coming down here and two of three from us, but we need to play better. Bottom line."
The Rams and Warriors played the first collegiate game ever at Oates Field, the name of the baseball stadium at Texas Rangers Youth Academy at Mercy Street Sports Complex presented by Toyota. Opened in 2017, Texas Rangers Youth Academy offers various sports and school services and programs to kids across North Texas. Oates field also serves as the home field to multiple Dallas high school baseball teams. Read more about the academy and Mercy Street, Inc.
here.
In game one, the Warriors jumped out to an early lead after an Ike Brown liner into shallow left field plated the first run. Another run was scored on a passed ball and Sterling found a 2-0 advantage in the opening salvo.
The Rams tied the game in the bottom half of the first. The Warriors committed an error that allowed leadoff man
Tomas Sanchez to reach base before
Trey Erwin drove him home with a double down the left field line.
Joseph Barfield tied the game with a fielder's choice RBI.
TXWES found three more runs in the third inning, starting with a
Trey Erwin RBI triple to straight away center field.
Jose Sosa followed that up with the second run of the inning with a beautiful piece of hitting, taking a pitch the other way down the right field line. Barfield tacked on his second RBI of the day on nicely place single through the right side to make it a 5-3 game in favor of the Rams.
Sterling got one back in the fourth on a Michey Nunez home run that just stayed fair down the right field line, but it was a four-run rally in the fourth that gave the Warriors a 7-5 lead. Jackson Kawelo started the scoring with a RBI single through the left side before Elijah Howard delivered a base clearing three-run double to deep right center to retake the lead.
TXWES made it a one score game in the bottom of the inning after a
Hayden Hutchins double led to a
Keegan Hyde RBI base hit through the left side to make it 7-6.
The Rams were turned away in the bottom of the sixth after putting two in scoring position with one away in the inning. The Warriors got a strikeout and ground out in the heart of the Ram order to put an end to the sixth.
Sterling added a run in the top of the seventh on an error for a two-run cushion at 8-6. TXWES got down to their last strike in the bottom of the seventh with
Tomas Sanchez at the plate and two on. With a full count on the batter, the runners were moving with the pitch. Sanchez drove a liner to straight away center that was muffed. One run scored, but Sterling was able to recover in enough time to throw out the tying run at the plate and Sterling earned its first win of the season in dramatic fashion, 8-7.
The Rams and Warriors each left eight stranded on the base paths in game one.
Marcos Sanchez went 3 for 3 with a walk in the loss. Erwin went 2 for 4 with a pair of RBI. Barfield went 1 for 4 with 2 RBI, while Hutchins went 2 for 4 for TXWES.
Cory Didier (1-1) suffered the loss in 4.1 innings of work. He allowed just two earned out of the six runs allowed, limited the Warriors to just four hits, walked six, and struck out four.
David Theriot went 2.2 innings in relief, allowing runs (none earned) on four hits, walked three and sat down three.
In game two, the Warriors found an early lead on a Quinton Gago RBI double and added an unearned run in the third to grab a 2-0 edge. Sterling put up two more insurance runs in the third – one on an error and another on a Mickey Nunez RBI single to center to make it a 4-0 ball game.
The Rams got on the board in the fifth after a successful double steal play on the first pitch after a Sterling pitching change put two in scoring position for
Tomas Sanchez. Sanchez grounded out to the right side to open scoring for TXWES.
TXWES had opportunities in the late innings on the offensive side, but could not capitalize, dropping game two, 4-1.
The team will be back in action on Tuesday, Feb. 15, taking on Texas A&M – Texarkana at Sycamore Park. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
