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DALLAS, Texas - The Texas
Wesleyan baseball team dropped both games of its season-opening
doubleheader against Dallas Baptist Saturday afternoon at Patriot
Field.
Dallas Baptist (2-0) took the opening game
of the doubleheader, 11-6, and completed the sweep with a 9-4 victory
in the second game.
"I was a little disappointed in our
defense today," head coach Mike Jeffcoat said. "Our pitching
held steady, we just didn't get that many timely hits."
Texas Wesleyan (0-2) was led by freshman
Drew Jeffcoat who went 4-for-8, with two doubles and three RBI's.
In game one, Dallas Baptist jumped out
to an early 8-0 lead, as Ryan Olivo drove in three runs on a single
and a double. Ram starting pitcher, Eric Casias lasted only 1.2
innings, allowing four earned
runs on four hits, while walking three batters.
Patriot starting pitcher Jeff Gilmore held
the Rams hitless in five innings of work. The junior right-hander
didn't allow a baserunner, while using only 38 pitches to set down
the Rams.
Texas Wesleyan fought back with two runs
in the sixth inning. Jeffcoat laced a two-run double to right
field off of Patriot pitcher Brice Wells to score right fielder
Nathan Murrell and shortstop Corey Stansell, cutting the deficit
to 8-2.
The Patriots answered in the bottom half
of the sixth with a run of their own. Pinch-hitter Sean Burgess
sent a 1-1 pitch by Jeffcoat over the right-field wall to make the
score, 9-2.
Dallas Baptist added two unearned runs in the
seventh to increase its lead to 11-2.
Texas Wesleyan made a game of it, by scoring
two runs in both the eight and ninth innings. The Rams received
a two-RBI double by catcher Matt Putman and a RBI-single by Jeffcoat,
while Murrell swiped home on a double steal to provide the final
margin.
Casias (0-1) suffered the loss for Texas
Wesleyan, while Gilmore (1-0) picked up the victory for the Patriots.
In game two of the doubleheader, Texas
Wesleyan jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, pushing across two unearned
runs off of Patriot starting pitcher Lance Broadway in the first
frame. Left fielder Eric Vaughn picked up an RBI on a single to
right field.
The Rams loaded the bases with no outs
in the third inning, but Broadway got a line out and two strikeouts
to get out of the jam. Broadway allowed two unearned runs off of
three hits, while walking two and striking out four batters.
Dallas Baptist cut the deficit in half,
scoring a run in the bottom of the third inning. Center fielder
Drew Holder sent a 3-1 offering by Ram starting pitcher Brad Shiller.
The Arlington, Texas native, allowed only the one run on two hits
and three walks in three innings of work.
The Patriots tied the game in the fifth
inning as Olivo hit a line drive off of the right-field wall. Murrell
attempted to catch the ball but crashed into the wall. A dazed Murrell
picked up the ball and fired it back in, but not before Olivo had
registered an inside-the-park homerun.
Dallas Baptist then broke the game wide
open, scoring two runs in the sixth inning, a run in the seventh
inning and four runs in the eighth inning off of Ram relievers Jayson
Rachuig and David Miller.
The Rams score two runs in the ninth inning,
as centerfielder Mark Smajstrla knocked in two with a double to
right-center field.
Rachiug (0-1) picked up the loss for the
Rams, while Aaron Klusman (1-0) registered the victory for Dallas
Baptist.
Putman finished the day 2-for-4 with a
double and two RBIs, while freshman Thomas Harrah and junior David
Hinson each pitched one scoreless inning with one strikeout.
Olivo led Dallas Baptist, going 4-for-7
with a homerun, triple, double and six RBIs. Holder also finished
4-for-7, tallying two homeruns, two doubles and two RBIs.
"Things didn't go our way today,"
Jeffcoat said. "We left a lot of runners on base and it is
hard to win like that. There were a lot of positive, but some negatives
we still need to work on."
Texas Wesleyan will be back in action Feb.
13-15, when they travel to take part in the Loyola University Tournament,
in New Orleans, La.
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