FORT WORTH, Texas — Texas Wesleyan University (13-12, 7-5) secured a decisive 12-4 victory over Southwestern Christian University (11-6, 4-5) at Sycamore Park in the first game of a doubleheader. The Rams' offense was highlighted by two home runs and three doubles, contributing to their 12-hit performance. The Rams followed that up with an extra innings nail-biter that took all of nine innings to give the Rams the series victory.
In Game One, in the first inning, the Rams took control with a strong start. After
Haylie Delarosa singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch,
KK Moore hit a single to center field, driving in two runs. The Rams led 2-0 at the end of the first inning.
The second inning saw the Rams extend their lead significantly.
Kylie Barnes hit a grand slam to center field, bringing home
Arieanna Hernandez,
Rachet Houston, and
Katie Rodriguez. This offensive burst gave the Rams a 6-0 lead after two innings.
In the third inning, Texas Wesleyan continued to capitalize on its momentum.
Ally Hinojosa doubled down the left field line, bringing in Moore. Houston walked with the bases loaded, driving in another run, followed by Barnes drawing a bases-loaded walk to score another. The score increased to 9-0 in favor of the Rams by the end of the third inning.
Southwestern Christian responded in the fourth inning, cutting into the lead. Jessie Moralez doubled, driving in two runs, and Trinity Norwood hit a two-run homer to left field. However, Texas Wesleyan still led 9-4 after four innings.
The Rams capped off their scoring in the fifth inning with another powerful display from Barnes, who hit a three-run homer to center field, scoring Delarosa and Houston. This brought the final score to 12-4, securing the victory for the Rams.
Barnes pitched a complete game, allowing four earned runs over 5 innings. She faced 21 batters, giving up five hits, including one home run, while issuing two walks. Barnes recorded three strikeouts with 83 pitches, 55 of which were strikes, contributing to her season record improving to 9-3. Her WHIP was 1.40, and she successfully navigated seven groundouts and four flyouts during her outing.
Barnes delivered an impressive performance, hitting two home runs and driving in eight runs while going 3-for-3 at the plate. Houston contributed by scoring two runs and collecting two hits in three at-bats, adding one RBI. Hernandez scored twice and recorded a hit, also drawing a walk in her plate appearances. Delarosa crossed the plate twice, added a hit, and drew a walk, also stealing a base.
In Game Two, Southwestern Christian took an early lead in the first inning with Danielle Burleson's double to left center, bringing home two runs. Texas Wesleyan was unable to respond in their half, ending the inning with a score of 2–0 in favor of the Eagles.
In the second inning, the Rams' offense came alive. Barnes singled to center field, followed by a sequence that saw Barnes score on a sacrifice fly by Moore.
Payton Blanco scored after reaching base on an error, and Hinojosa crossed the plate on
Hope Grant's RBI single. The inning concluded with Texas Wesleyan leading 3–2.
The third inning saw both teams add to their totals. Southwestern Christian scored on a sacrifice play, while the Rams capitalized on an error, allowing Hernandez to score. The inning ended with Texas Wesleyan ahead 4–3.
In the fourth inning, both teams mirrored each other with one run each. A single from Houston brought home Rodriguez for Texas Wesleyan. The score was 5–4, Texas Wesleyan leading.
The fifth inning featured a homer from Trinity Norwood of the Eagles and an RBI double from Kylah Daniel, which tied the game. The Rams responded with Moore scoring on a single by Delarosa. The inning ended in a 6–6 tie.
No runs were scored in the sixth, seventh, or eighth innings, keeping the game tied at 6–6.
In the ninth inning, Southwestern Christian briefly took the lead with an unearned run. However, Texas Wesleyan responded decisively. Grant delivered a clutch double to right center, driving in two runs and securing the victory for the Rams.
Delarosa recorded two hits and drove in one run, demonstrating her effectiveness at the plate. Hernandez added two hits and scored once, contributing significantly to the team's offense. Grant delivered a strong performance with two hits, including a double, and drove in three runs. Hinojosa scored twice and collected two hits, providing a crucial boost to the team's scoring.
The Rams head to Oklahoma City next week as they take on Oklahoma City University on March 20 and 21 starting with a doubleheader on March 20 with games at 2pm and 4pm.
