FORT WORTH, Texas - Andy Hughes knocked in three runs in the first game, and Travis Clifford matched that total in the second as Wesleyan grabbed a pair of victories in Thursday’s doubleheader against the Vikings of North Park University. The Rams won 8-4 and 9-8.

Game 1: North Park jumped all over Wesleyan in the top of the first. After a two-out walk, the Vikings followed with three straight singles to punch two runs across. North Park pitcher Vince Fanelli then ripped a triple over Eric Casias’ head in centerfield to score another two, and the Vikings took a 4-0 lead.

The Rams got most of it back in the third, scoring three times on four hits. Eric Vaughn led off with a single and Anthony Boliver knocked him home an out later with a shot through the right side. Hughes ripped a double to plate Bolivar, then score on Trey Combs infield hit.

Wesleyan picked up another run in the fifth when Nathan Murrell stole home. Matt Putman, on at first, broke to second as though he were stealing, but slowed down as the throw came through. Murrell scored as Putman remained in a rundown.

An inning later, the Rams put the game away. Derek Armstrong led off with a base hit, advanced to second on a wild pitch, then went to third on Casias’ bunt single. Vaughn brought him home a run with a sacrifice fly. A walk and hit batsman later, Hughes drove home a pair with a single and Combs followed with an RBI hit to close out the scoring, and give Wesleyan an 8-4 victory.

Shea Harrison pitched two shutout innings for the win. He struck out the side in order in the fifth. Matt Mull went three innings without allowing a run, and Bryant Wilson pitched a scoreless seventh. Wesleyan starter David Hinson gave up four runs on four hits in the first.

Pitchers: TW - Hinson, Mull (2), Harrison (5), Wilson (7) NP - Fanelli Catchers: TW - Combs NP - Lezon 2B: TW - Combs, Hughes NP - none 3B: none HR: none Win: Harrison Loss: Fanelli Save: none RBI: TW - Bolivar, Hughes 3, Combs 2, Vaughn NP - Hernandez 2, Fanelli 2

Game 2: This time, the Rams struck first, scoring a run in the bottom of the first. Murrell singled leading off, and Combs knocked him home an out later.

North Park tied it up in the top of the second on an RBI single by Fanelli, but the Rams exploded in their half of the inning, posting four runs on six hits. Billy Eaton led off with the first of his two doubles in the game, before Clifford brought him home with a single. Vaughn followed with a hit, as did Cody Henderson, whose single scored Clifford from second. Mike Greene then laid down a bunt single so perfectly placed that it rolled untouched to a vacant shortstop position. Murrell brought home Vaughn with a sac fly, and Bolivar plated Henderson with a single up the middle to give Wesleyan a 5-1 lead.

The Vikings came back with three of their own in the top of the third, though, closing the gap to 5-4. Wesleyan got one back in the bottom of the third on a Clifford RBI sacrifice fly.

Neither team scored in the fourth and fifth innings, but Wesleyan did pad their lead with a pair in the bottom of the sixth. Jeremy Dutton plated a run with a sacrifice fly, and Clifford knocked hoe his third of the game to put the Rams up 8-4 with one inning left.

Eric Casias came on to pitch for the Rams, and promptly hit the first two batters. An error on an infield chop to second loaded the bases, an Jim Lezon drilled a double to cut the lead in half. After a strikeout, a past ball allowed another runner to score, cutting the Rams’ lead to 1. Fanelli then knocked in his second run of the game, and fourth of the afternoon, tying the score at 8. Casias struck out two of the next three batters, getting out of the inning with no further damage done.

Greene led off the bottom of the seventh and was hit by a pitch. He stole second, then went to third on a ground out. With two outs and two strikes on the Dutton, Greene broke home on a wild pitch that went just a few feet behind the catcher. The play at the plate was extremely close, but the umpire ruled him safe, giving Wesleyan a 9-8 victory and a sweep of the doubleheader.

Casias picks up the win, giving up four runs in one inning of work. Call Cline threw two perfect innings, striking out three, and Tim McWilliams threw one scoreless inning. Daniel Faulkner started and allowed four runs on five hits in three innings.

The Rams improve to 6-10-1, and remain 2-4 in Red River Conference play. They return to the diamond on Friday, taking on Southwestern Assemblies of God University in a single game at LaGrave Field at 1 PM. Saturday, the teams meet again for a doubleheader at noon.

TW - Faulkner, McWilliams (4), Cline (5), Casias (7) NP - Cooper, Macaux (5), Wittleder (6) TW - Putman, Kidd (3) NP - Lezon TW - Eaton 2 NP - none none none Harrison Loss: Fanelli Save: none TW - Combs, Clifford 3, Henderson, Murrell, Bolivar, Dutton NP - Fanelli 2, Rubino, Zayas, Lezon 2,

Records: TW - 6-10-1, 2-4 in Red River Conference; NP - 1-7, 0-0 in conference