LANGSTON, Okla. — Texas Wesleyan University (16-17, 10-10) experienced a mix of victory and defeat in their doubleheader against Langston University (7-13, 2-12) on Saturday. The Rams first secured a 9–7 victory in the opening game before falling 5–3 in the second matchup.
In Game One, Texas Wesleyan tallied 16 hits, including four doubles, to outlast Langston's late five-run surge in the fifth inning. The Rams started strong with
Haylie Delarosa scoring in the first inning after stealing second and advancing on
Arieanna Hernandez's single.
Kylie Barnes drove Delarosa home with a single, tying the score at 1–1 after Langston responded with a run of its own.
In the second inning,
Ashley Darilek scored on an RBI single from Hernandez, while Langston matched with a run from Alexus Worthy's advance and Serena Sanchez's double.
The Rams pulled ahead in the fourth inning when
Payton Blanco doubled, driving in Barnes and
Rachet Houston bringing the score to 4-2 in favor of the Rams.
In the fifth inning, Texas Wesleyan extended its lead.
KK Moore started with a double and scored on Darilek's sacrifice fly.
EB Zimmerman scored on a fielding error, but Langston rallied with five runs, including two RBIs from Ryan Cornist to give the Lions a 7-6 lead.
Reagan Avants took the mound, and the Rams held Langston scoreless in the sixth inning to keep the game within one.
In a dramatic seventh inning, Texas Wesleyan secured the lead. Darilek's double allowed her to score on a Delarosa single. Barnes sealed the game with a two-RBI double, and Langston was unable to respond in their half, giving the Rams a 9-7 victory in game one.
Avants pitched 2 2/3 innings, allowing only one hit and one walk while striking out one batter. Across 24 pitches thrown, 17 were strikes, giving Avants a WHIP of 0.91. She effectively induced three flyouts and four groundouts, maintaining control and preventing any earned runs during her appearance.
Delarosa recorded two hits and scored twice, contributing significantly to the team's offensive efforts. Barnes drove in three runs, including a double, showcasing her ability to capitalize on scoring opportunities. Blanco added two hits, including a double, and drove in two runs, solidifying her impact at the plate. Darilek finished with three hits and crossed the plate twice, further enhancing the team's scoring output.
In Game Two, Texas Wesleyan fell to Langston with a final score of 5–3. Despite a triple from Avants, the Rams could not overcome a decisive five-run third inning from Langston. Texas Wesleyan opened the scoring in the first inning when Delarosa walked and later scored on a single by
Arieanna Hernandez, giving the team an early lead.
Langston responded strongly in the third inning, scoring five runs. A series of walks and singles culminated in Serena Sanchez's double, which drove in three runs. By the end of the inning, Langston led 5–1.
In the fourth inning,
EB Zimmerman tripled and then scored on a groundout by
Hope Grant, narrowing the gap. The score was then 5–2 with Langston leading.
The fifth inning saw
Christina Jackson walk and advance to third on an error before scoring on another single by Hernandez, bringing the score to 5–3, still in favor of Langston. However, Texas Wesleyan was unable to score in the remaining innings giving the Lions a 5-3 victory.
Grant pitched for 2 innings, allowing 5 earned runs on 2 hits and 5 walks. She faced 14 batters, striking out none, and ended with a loss, bringing her record to 3-4. Avants, in her relief appearance, pitched 4 innings without allowing a run, giving up 5 hits and striking out one batter. She maintained control throughout, issuing no walks and achieving a WHIP of 1.25 over 15 batters faced.
Hernandez recorded two hits and collected two RBIs, leading the team's hitting efforts in the second game. Zimmerman tallied two hits, including a triple, and drew a walk, contributing to the scoring with one run.
Payton Blanco added two hits, showcasing consistency at the plate, while Delarosa reached base twice, scoring one of the team's runs.
The Rams return home this week as they take on Oklahoma Panhandle State in Sycamore Park starting with a doubleheader on Thursday, April 1 at 12pm.
