The Wesleyan baseball team split an afternoon doubleheader with Hamline University (MN) on Wednesday to bring their record to 15-14-1 for the season. The Rams run-ruled the Pipers in game one, winning 12-0 in six innings, but Hamline came back to take the second game 6-1.

Game 1: Daniel Faulkner threw six shutout innings and the Ram offense provided more than enough support in the lopsided victory.

After failing to score with the bases loaded in the first, Wesleyan broke through in the second to put two runs on the board. Eric Casias reached with one out on an error by the Pilots’ third baseman, then scored on Cole Henry’s triple to center. Billy Eaton followed with a single to right that scored Henry, giving the Rams a 2-0 lead.

Wesleyan tacked on three more in the third. Aaron Ellis doubled to open the inning and moved to third on Travis Clifford’s single. After a pitching change, Matt Putman brought Ellis home with a sacrifice fly, and Derek Armstrong doubled to plate Clifford. Eaton’s two-out single brought Armstrong home and put Wesleyan in front 5-0.

Armstrong put another two runs up for Wesleyan in the fourth, hammering a single to up the middle that scored Ellis and Clifford.

In the fifth, Wesleyan added two more runs to take a 9-0 lead. Nathan Murrell tripled to lead off, then scored on Andy Hughes’ ground out. Cody Henderson followed with a double, scoring when Clifford’s two-out pop-up behind first fell untouched.

Needing just one run to end the game via the run-rule, Wesleyan closed out the game in the sixth on four consecutive hits. Kevin Kidd led off with a shot to right, followed by Adrian Cardenas’ single up the middle. Cole Henry laced a single to right to load the bases, and Murrell brought them all home with his second triple of the game. He was thrown out trying to score on the play, but the Rams still won 12-0.

Faulkner pitched six shutout innings to get the win, giving up six hits while striking out three. He did not walk a batter. Wagener took the loss for Hamline.

Pitchers: TW - Faulkner HU - Wagener, Parent (3), Waller (4), Coughlin (5), Maistrovich (6) Catchers: TW - Putman HU - Dammann 2B: TW-Hughes, Ellis, Armstrong, Henderson HU - none 3B: TW-Henry, Murrell 2 HU - none HR: none Win: Faulkner Loss: Wagener Save: none

Game 2: The Wesleyan offense disappeared and the Pilots seemed to find theirs as they took the second game 6-1.

Adam Friedman led off the game with a bunt single for Hamline. He moved to second when Dan Ryks was hit by a pitch, then scored one batter later on Andy Seliga’s single. Ryks moved to third on the hit, and eventually scored as Seliga was caught in a rundown after being picked of first.

Hamline scored again in the third to take a 3-0 lead. Robin Young led off with a single, went to second on a sacrifice bunt, then scored on Ryks’ two-out hit up the middle.

The Rams scored their only run of the game in the bottom of the third to cut the gap to 3-1. Cody Henderson reached via an error and Jeremy Dutton and Michael Greene loaded the bases with a pair of singles. With no outs, Anthony Bolivar popped up to short right field. Greene, on first, had to stay close to the bag for fear that the ball would be caught. It wasn’t, and Bolivar’s hit was reduced to a fielder’s choice as Greene was thrown out at second. Henderson scored on the play, but that was all the Rams could muster from the bases-loaded, no out situation.

Hamline added to their lead in the top of the fifth. Brian Kingery walked leading off and scored on Young’s double down the left field line. Friedman followed with a single to score Young, giving the Pilots a 5-1 lead. Tim McWilliams came on to replace Wesleyan starter Carlos Medina, giving up a pair of sacrifice flies that scored Ryks – the last run of the game – putting Hamline up 6-1.

Medina took the loss for Wesleyan, allowing six runs on six hits in four-plus innings of work. He struck out two and walked one. McWilliams threw two innings, giving up one hit with two strikeouts, and Bryant Wilson pitched the seventh for Wesleyan, striking out one and walking one. Aron Helm went the distanceon the mound for Hamline to get the win.

The Rams are now 15-14-1 on the season. They travel to Tyler this weekend to resume Red River Conference play, taking on Texas College in a three game series. Game one in on Friday at 2:00 PM, followed by a Saturday doubleheader at noon. Wesleyan returns home on Tuesday, April 1, to take on UT-Dallas at LaGrave Field.

Pitchers: TW - Medina, Faulkner (5), Wilson (7) HU - Helm Catchers: TW - Dutton, Combs (6) HU - Dammann 2B: TW-none HU - Young 3B: none HR: none Win: Helm Loss: Medina Save: none