OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — Texas Wesleyan (28-23) competed in the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament at Ann Lacy Stadium on Thursday, securing a 3–1 victory over Wayland Baptist University (27-22) before falling to Oklahoma City (45-7) with a final score of 16–4.
In their first game, Texas Wesleyan accumulated six hits, including three doubles, to clinch the win against Wayland Baptist, which was marked by strong pitching and timely hitting.
In the first inning,
Haylie Delarosa doubled to left field, followed by
Rachet Houston drawing a walk.
Arieanna Hernandez advanced both runners with a sacrifice bunt, setting up
Kylie Barnes, who grounded out to first base to bring in Delarosa for the first run. The inning concluded with Texas Wesleyan leading 1–0.
During the second inning,
Christina Jackson singled and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by
Mattee Fry.
Kadynce Crenshaw then delivered a single up the middle, bringing Jackson home to extend the lead. Texas Wesleyan ended the inning ahead 2–0.
The third inning saw Barnes walk and advance to third on a double by
Payton Blanco.
EB Zimmerman grounded out to second base, allowing Barnes to score, increasing the lead to 3–0. Wayland Baptist responded in the seventh inning with Berkley Bradley scoring on a groundout by Mikenzi Carlo, but the comeback fell short, leading to a final score of Texas Wesleyan 3, Wayland Baptist 1.
Kylie Barnes delivered a complete game performance for Texas Wesleyan, pitching 7 innings while allowing only 1 earned run on 5 hits. She struck out 4 batters and walked just 1, demonstrating control with 71 of her 110 pitches going for strikes. Her efforts secured her a win, improving her season record to 16-8. Delarosa contributed with a double and scored a run, while Houston had a hit and a walk, reaching base twice. Jackson also scored a run and collected a hit, further supporting the team's scoring efforts.
In their subsequent game, Texas Wesleyan faced a tough opponent in Oklahoma City, managing to record seven hits, including a home run, despite the loss.
Oklahoma City took an early lead in the first inning, scoring four runs with Iliana Ashford scoring on a wild pitch, followed by Peyton Barrow and Jessica Phares driving in additional runs to lead 4–0 at the end of the first inning.
Texas Wesleyan responded in the second inning with a two-run homer by
Ally Hinojosa, bringing home
Kylie Barnes, who had doubled earlier. However, Oklahoma City extended its lead with a two-run homer by Tara Hoehner and a solo homer by Analise Rayburn, making it 7–2 after two innings.
In the third inning, Texas Wesleyan narrowed the gap. After
Haylie Delarosa and
Payton Blanco reached base,
Kylie Barnes hit a double that brought both runners home. Despite this effort, Oklahoma City added two more runs in its half of the inning, maintaining a 9–4 advantage after three innings.
The fourth inning saw Oklahoma City further extend its lead with seven runs, including a two-RBI double by Tara Hoehner and several RBI singles. Texas Wesleyan was unable to score in its half, leading to a final score of Oklahoma City 16, Texas Wesleyan 4.
Kylie Barnes pitched 4 innings, allowing 12 hits and 8 earned runs while striking out 5 of her 86 total pitches.
Hope Grant entered in relief, pitching for 1/3 of an inning, issuing 2 walks and allowing 3 earned runs on no hits.
Reagan Avants closed the game, pitching 2/3 of an inning and conceding 4 earned runs with 2 home runs among the 6 hits allowed.
Barnes drove in two runs and hit two doubles, contributing significantly to the team's offensive efforts. Hinojosa added to the scoring by hitting a home run and collecting two RBIs. Delarosa and Blanco both recorded a hit and scored a run, aiding in the team's overall performance.
