Farmer's Branch, Texas - The Texas Wesleyan softball team entered this weekend's Red River Conference softball tournament knowing it would be an uphill battle. After getting past UT-Permian Basin 4-0 in Friday's early game, the Lady Rams had to face #6 Houston Baptist University and Bacone College in back-to-back contests, needing to win one to stay alive. They fell to HBU 10-0, then lost an early lead in the second game as Bacone won 4-2.

Game 1 vs. UT-Permian Basin:
Amanda Kashuba pitched seven innings of one-hit, shutout softball, and the Lady Rams scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the third and another two in the fifth to coast past the Lady Falcons 4-0 in the first game of the 2003 RRAC softball tournament.

Senior shortstop Shannon Gower led off the third with a single, stole second, then scored on Danah Merck's single. Kashuba drew a walk after a 13-pitch at bat in which whe fouled off 10 balls. Kamie Lancaster then singled to load the bases. Monica Barrilleaux then hit a smash to the third baseman, who picked the ball cleanly, but threw too low trying to nail Merck at the plate. The catcher couldn't handle the throw and everyone was safe. Unfortunately, the rally ended as the next two batter both lined out.

In the fifth, Kashuba led off with a walk, and after an out, Barrilleaux and Jennifer Perez also walked to load the bases. Stacy Fritz followed with a smashed single past the third baseman that scored Kashuba and Barrilleaux, and put the Lady Rams up by 4.

Kashuba shut the door from there, retring the next six batters in order to preserve the win. For the game, she struck out six and walked one.

Game 2 vs. Houston Baptist:
Junior Cynthia Obsivac got the call to start againt the sixth-ranked Lady Huskies, and pitched well. Unfortunately, that was all the Lady Rams did well in the game, managing only one hit and committing 8 errors as Houston Baptist rolled to a 10-0 victory.

The Lady Huskies got things started in the third inning, when Kelly Majewski reaached on an error by Obsivac. After a sacrifice bunt, Stacey Davison reached on an error, which allowed Majewski to score the game's first run. Diana Rychlik and Katelyn Griffin followed with walks, and Sarah Franz crushed the first pitch she saw for a grand slam, putting the Lady Huskies up 5-0.

In the fourth, Majewski and Tammie Hutzler reached on errors and scored on Kristy Carlson's single, giving HBU a 7-0 lead. Griffin capped the scoring in the top of the seventh with a three-run blast, plating Carlson and Rychlik.

Obsivac pitched all seven innings, giving up 10 runs (2 earned) on 7 hits. She struck out 3 and walked 2. Shannon Gower had the only hit for Wesleyan, a leadoff single in the fourth. She was the only Lady Ram to reach base in the game.

Game 3 vs. Bacone:
The Lady Rams grabbed an early lead witha a run in the bottom of the second, but gave it back by allowing two in the third and two in the fifth to fall behanid 4-1. A sixth inning rally produced only one run, and Wesleyan fell 4-2 to end the 2002-2003 season.

With two outs in the second, Monica Barrilleaux pounded a triple to right field. She would score on Staci Fritz' single to right.

The lead would be short-lived, though as Bacone came right back with a pair of runs in the third. Jolene Impson led off with a single and moved to third on Michelle Berglund's double. Impson scored on a groundout, and Berglund tried to as well on the next pitch, but was cut down on a perfect throw to the plate from Shannon Gower at shortstop. Then, with two outs, Tracis Six doubled, which brought home another run and gave the Lady Warriors a 2-1 lead.

The added to it in the fifth. With two outs, Jessica Dean homered on a 3-2 pitch. Lorri Lollis followed with a single and Melissa Cunningham doubled her home to give Bacone a 4-1 lead.

Wesleyan got one back in the sixth on a single by Amanda Kashuba and Barrilleaux's second triple of the game, but it wouldn't be enough as Bacone held on for the 4-2 victory.

Barrilleaux pitched 3.1 innings for the Lady Rams, giving up 2 runs on 8 hits while striking out 3 and walking 1. Kashuba came on in relief and allowed 2 runs on 5 hits, striking out 2 and walking 0.

Barrilleaux led the carge offensively as well, going 2-2 with 2 triples and a walk. Kashuba, Gower, and Fritz each went 1-3.

The Lady Rams end the season witha record of 18-27, 6-10 in Red River Conference play.