FORT WORTH — Texas Wesleyan University (7-1) swept a doubleheader against Sterling College (2-4) on Friday at Sycamore Park, winning the opener 5-4 before taking the nightcap 10-3.
Game 1: Texas Wesleyan 5, Sterling 4
Texas Wesleyan rallied in the seventh inning to secure a come-from-behind victory.
Sterling scored an unearned run in the second inning when Ezavien Campos crossed the plate on Imanol Ramos' sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead.
The Rams responded in the fourth.
Brendon Vela scored on a wild pitch after advancing to third on an error, and
Jonathan Pena delivered a pinch-hit triple to drive in two more runs, giving Texas Wesleyan a 3-1 advantage.
Sterling regained the lead in the sixth with three runs, including a wild pitch and a two-RBI single from Grayson Mulready, to make it 4-3.
Texas Wesleyan answered in the bottom of the seventh.
Giuseppe Buttaci and
Jose Rangel started the inning with singles, setting up
Daniel Hernandez's RBI single to tie the game at 4. Vela followed with a double to plate the go-ahead run.
Relief pitching shut down Sterling in the eighth to preserve the win.
Ty Sansom earned the victory with 1 2/3 scoreless innings in relief, allowing two hits and striking out three.
Vela led the offense, going 4-for-4 with two doubles, a run scored and an RBI. Pena added a triple and two RBIs.
Micheal Pelosi started and pitched four innings, allowing two hits and no earned runs with three strikeouts and two walks (1.00 WHIP). Rey Rivera, Jr. worked 1 1/3 innings, surrendering three earned runs on no hits but three walks and one strikeout.
Despite two team errors, Texas Wesleyan received strong defensive contributions, including key plays from
Jose Rangel.
Game 2: Texas Wesleyan 10, Sterling 3
The Rams erupted for 15 hits and five stolen bases in a decisive victory.
Sterling took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning. Texas Wesleyan tied it immediately when Hernandez scored on Vela's double.
Texas Wesleyan pulled ahead in the second inning. J. Pena drew a leadoff walk, and C. DeLeon's single helped set up a three-run frame featuring RBI hits from
Xavier Martinez and Buttaci, plus sacrifice flies by Rangel and Hernandez, for a 4-1 lead.
Sterling cut the deficit with a solo home run by Jackson Harding in the fourth, but Buttaci answered with a solo homer in the bottom half to restore a 5-2 advantage.
The Rams added two runs in the fifth on an RBI double by
Jorge Herrera and an RBI single from Pena, extending the lead to 7-2.
Texas Wesleyan broke the game open in the sixth. Hernandez stole third after reaching base, paving the way for RBI hits from
Endi Jaquez, Vela and Herrera to push the score to 10-3.
Luke Zakman closed out the seventh inning, allowing one hit (a double) but no runs.
Samuel Mendez earned the win, pitching six innings and allowing three earned runs on five hits — including a home run and a triple — while striking out eight, walking one and posting a 1.00 WHIP.
Vela paced the offense with three hits, including a double and a triple, two RBIs and two runs scored. Hernandez contributed two hits (one a double), two runs scored, two stolen bases and an RBI. Buttaci added a home run among his two hits, one run scored and one RBI. Jaquez finished with a hit, one run and an RBI.
The Rams return to action on Sunday against William Woods University at Sycamore park, with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m.
