HATTIESBURG, MS - Texas Wesleyan faced a tough challenge against Ave Maria (FL) in the opening round of the NAIA Baseball Tournament. Despite their efforts, Texas Wesleyan fell short as Ave Maria dominated offensively and defensively, securing a convincing 20-8 victory.
Ave Maria wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, scoring three runs in the first inning. Frank Barbieri's single to left field brought home Juan Gonzalez for the first run, followed by a sacrifice fly by Daniel Leonardi to extend their lead. Ave Maria capitalized on a wild pitch, allowing Tito Shahidi to cross the plate, giving them an early advantage. Texas Wesleyan quickly responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first, thanks to a double by Jonathan Pena.
The second inning saw Ave Maria add another run, increasing their lead to 4-2. However, Texas Wesleyan fought back with Brandon Rincones' double, driving in another run to cut the deficit to one. Ave Maria's offense exploded in the third inning, piling on seven runs to make it an 11-3 game. David Caylor's grand slam highlighted the scoring spree.
Texas Wesleyan managed to add a run in the fourth inning, courtesy of a wild pitch, but Ave Maria responded in the fifth, extending their lead to 12-4. The sixth inning saw Texas Wesleyan chip away at the deficit, with Kevin Santiago drawing a walk to bring home a run.
Ave Maria continued to showcase their offensive prowess in the seventh inning, with Gonzalez hitting a two-run homer and Barbieri adding an RBI single. Texas Wesleyan fought back with a three-run rally in the same inning, but it wasn't enough to mount a comeback. Ave Maria maintained their dominance, securing the victory with an outstanding offensive display.
Defensively, Ave Maria's pitching staff kept Texas Wesleyan's bats in check, allowing only eight runs on 12 hits. On the other hand, Texas Wesleyan struggled to contain Ave Maria's potent lineup, giving up 20 runs on 18 hits.
Despite the loss, Texas Wesleyan displayed resilience and determination throughout the game. However, Ave Maria's exceptional offensive performance proved too much to handle.
The defeat serves as a learning experience for Texas Wesleyan, who will look to regroup and adjust for their upcoming tournament games.
