FORT WORTH, Texas — Texas Wesleyan University (6-7) faced Dallas Christian College (10-6) in a doubleheader at Sycamore Park on Tuesday, achieving a dramatic 9-7 victory in the first game but falling short in the second, losing 12-7.

In Game One, Texas Wesleyan capitalized on a six-run sixth inning, highlighted by a grand slam, to overcome Dallas Christian's early lead. The first inning set the tone with both teams scoring early. Dallas Christian capitalized on a couple of errors to score twice, while Texas Wesleyan responded by scoring three runs. Rachet Houston singled to center, driving in Haylie Delarosa, who had earlier walked and stole second. Kylie Barnes and Payton Blanco continued the scoring, bringing the total to 3-2 in favor of the Rams at the end of the first inning.

The game remained tight through the middle innings. Dallas Christian tied the game at 3-3 in the third inning, benefiting from a Texas Wesleyan error. In the fifth inning, Dallas Christian briefly took the lead with a solo home run from G. Carrillo and an RBI single, making it 5-3.

Texas Wesleyan's decisive moment came in the sixth inning. Barnes doubled down the left field line to bring Blanco home. Reagan Avants delivered a pivotal blow with a grand slam, scoring four runs, including an unearned run by Arieanna Hernandez. Kadynce Crenshaw and Katie Rodriguez added two more runs to secure a commanding 9-7 lead.

The final inning saw no further scoring from Dallas Christian, sealing a hard-fought win for the Rams.

Barnes pitched a complete game, going 7 innings with 109 pitches while allowing 7 runs on 9 hits. She struck out 5 batters and walked 1, contributing to a WHIP of 1.43. The pitcher also gave up 2 home runs and 2 doubles, demonstrating resilience by recording 7 groundouts and 8 flyouts. Barnes's performance included a notable achievement of pitching a complete game for Texas Wesleyan.

Barnes finished with two hits, including a double, and drove in two runs while pitching a complete game with five strikeouts over seven innings. Avants contributed significantly with a home run and four RBIs, tallying two hits in total. Delarosa reached base twice, scoring once and stealing a base in the game. Blanco scored twice and was solid defensively, recording two assists at shortstop.

In Game Two, In the second game, Texas Wesleyan opened the game strong with Blanco walking, followed by a two-run homer by Barnes down the left field line, bringing the score to 2-1 at the end of the first inning. However, the Rams could not overcome Dallas Christian's five home runs in the matchup.

In the third inning, Houston tripled down the right field line and was brought home by Katie Rodriguez's groundout, trimming the lead. Later in the inning, Hernandez doubled to center, scoring Barnes and leveling the score at 4-4.

The sixth inning saw Texas Wesleyan adding two runs. Blanco doubled to left center, driving in two runs, including an unearned run from Mattee Fry, reducing the deficit to 12-6.

In the final inning, EB Zimmerman pinch hit and singled, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on Fry's groundout, closing the gap to 12-7. Dallas Christian secured the win with a final score of 12-7.

Hope Grant pitched 1 2/3 innings, allowing four hits and three earned runs while striking out none. Grant faced nine batters, walking one, and threw a total of 35 pitches, 22 of which were strikes. Despite conceding a home run and two doubles, Grant managed one pickoff and induced two groundouts and one flyout. Grant's WHIP for the game was 4.17, highlighting the challenges faced in keeping runners off base.

Blanco contributed to the team's success by driving in two runs with a double, finishing the game with a notable OPS of 1.167. Barnes played a pivotal role, scoring twice and adding two RBIs with a home run, resulting in an impressive OPS of 2.750. Hernandez demonstrated versatility with two hits, including a double, while also recording four assists in the field. Houston showcased strong offensive performance, collecting two hits, including a triple, and scoring a run.

The next challenge for the Rams is set for Friday, February 27 as they start conference play with Mid-America Christian in a four game series with a doubleheader Friday and Saturday.