FORT WORTH, Texas — Texas Wesleyan University (3-6) split a doubleheader against Tabor College (6-6) at Sycamore Park on Friday, securing a 6-4 victory in the first game before narrowly falling 8-7 in the second.

In the first game, Texas Wesleyan faced Tabor in a tightly contested matchup. The Rams jumped on the board early with two runs in the first inning. Haylie Delarosa walked, stole second, and advanced to third on a catcher's error. Rachet Houston's sacrifice fly brought Delarosa home. Later, Payton Blanco singled, scored following a series of plays, including a double by Kylie Barnes and an error by Tabor's first baseman. However, Tabor responded with three runs in their half, taking an early lead, ending the first inning at 3-2 in favor of Tabor.

In the third inning, Barnes tied the game with a solo home run down the left field line, bringing the score to 3-3. Tabor reclaimed the lead in the fifth, scoring once more to make it 4-3 by the end of the inning. The sixth inning was pivotal for the Rams. Delarosa singled and scored after stealing second, thanks to a series of hits from the lineup. Blanco's single drove in one run, followed by Barnes' single adding another. Arieanna Hernandez then singled to bring home Barnes, putting Texas Wesleyan in the lead at 6-4.

The final inning saw no further scoring from either team, and the Rams secured the victory with a final score of 6-4. Barnes pitched a complete game, allowing four earned runs over 7 innings while striking out six batters. She faced 34 batters, giving up eight hits and issuing four walks, resulting in a WHIP of 1.71. Barnes led the team with two runs, three hits, and two RBIs, including a home run, while pitching a complete game with six strikeouts. Blanco contributed three hits and one RBI along with four assists at shortstop. Delarosa scored twice and stole two bases, adding two hits, while Hernandez provided two RBIs with a hit, assisting three times in the field.

In the second game, Texas Wesleyan faced Tabor again but fell short, suffering a narrow 8-7 defeat despite a late surge with six runs in the seventh inning. The third inning saw Tabor take control, scoring six runs off a sequence that included a two-run walk and a grand slam by R. Hammons, putting the Rams behind 6-0 by the end of the inning. 

In the sixth, the Rams added a run when Kylie Barnes tripled and scored on a sacrifice fly by Arieanna Hernandez, adjusting the score to 7-1. The seventh inning featured a dramatic comeback attempt. Tabor extended its lead with a run, making it 8-1. Texas Wesleyan responded with a rally that started with Rachet Houston's two-RBI double, followed by Payton Blanco's sacrifice fly and a solo home run by Barnes. KK Moore's RBI single brought them within one run, but the comeback fell just short, ending the game at Tabor 8, Texas Wesleyan 7.

Hope Grant pitched 2 1/3 innings for Texas Wesleyan, allowing six earned runs on three hits, including one home run. Despite struggling with command and issuing five walks, Grant managed to strike out two batters and successfully picked off a runner. The performance resulted in a loss, bringing Grant's record to 1-3 for the season. Kylie Barnes recorded three hits, including a home run and a triple, contributing two runs and one RBI. Rachet Houston added one hit and drove in two RBIs with the bases loaded, while Payton Blanco stole a base, notched a hit, and recorded an RBI with a sacrifice fly. K. Crenshaw tallied two hits, including a double, and scored one run.

The Rams face off with the Bluejays once again tomorrow in Sycamore Park at 12pm and 2pm.