RAMS STAY HOT: SWEEP WILDCATS
March 7, 2006

FORT WORTH, TX:  The Texas Wesleyan University softball team (8-6) swept a doubleheader with Culver-Stockton College at Sycamore Park on Tuesday.  The Lady Rams took game one 11-9 in eight innings, and won game two 10-7.  The Lady Rams hit nine home runs on the day including a school record five bombs in game two.

In game one, Ariel Raley got the Rams on the board in the fourth when she ripped a leadoff single and later scored on a wild pitch.  With two outs in the fourth, Rachel Hampton ripped her fifth home run of the year, a two-run shot, to give the Rams a 3-0 lead.

Culver-Stockton took advantage of three Texas Wesleyan errors to plate six unearned runs and take a 6-3 lead in the sixth inning.  The Wildcats made it 9-3 in the seventh with a single from Jackie Clark, a double from Carley Thurston, and a home run from Cassie Fischer.

The Lady Rams showed no quit with a remarkable rally in the bottom of the seventh.  After a leadoff walk to Elizabeth Brady and singles from Devin Blew, Alicia Wylie, and Ariel Raley, back-to-back home runs from Marie Stone and Tara Sharp tied the game at nine.  Consecutive walks to Hampton and Brady put the winning run in scoring position.  Becky Lamont singled to left, but it was not deep enough to plate the run.  Sam Zaiser then induced a pop up to end the rally and send the game to extra innings.

In the eighth, Wylie drew a leadoff walk, and Ariel Raley delivered a walk-off homer to left.

Michelle Jones earned the win after working two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit.  Zaiser took the loss for Culver-Stockton, allowing two runs on two hits in 0.2 innings pitched.  Raley led the Rams at the plate going 3-for-5 with three runs scored, four RBI and the game-winning home run.

In game two, Wylie and Raley led off with consecutive walks.  Stone and Sharp then went back-to-back for the second time on the day to give Texas Wesleyan a 4-0 lead.  Raley made it 5-0 with her second home run of the day, a solo shot in the second inning.

Carley Thurston got the Wildcats on the board with a two-run homer in the fourth.  In the bottom of the inning, Wylie reached on a single and advanced to second on an error.  Wylie advanced to third on a groundout and then scored when the Wildcats began to leave the field, mistakenly believing that there were three outs.

Culver-Stockon scored an unearned run in the fifth to bring the score to 6-3.  Hampton led off the bottom of the inning with her second home run of the day, and the Rams added an unearned tally to bring the score to 8-3.  In the bottom of the sixth, Hampton came through one more time with her third homerun of the day, a two-run shot.

In the top of the seventh, the Lady Rams appeared to have made the final out at second, but the field umpire ruled that no tag had been made.  Culver-Stockon went on to plate four runs in the inning and bring the tying run to the plate before Rachel Lamont put out the fire by recording the final out.

Michelle Jones (2-0) earned her second win of the day after allowing one unearned run on two hits in two innings.  Lamont was credited with the save.  Hampton led the Lady Rams at the plate going 3-4 with three runs scored and three RBI.

The Lady Rams return to action on Wednesday, when they travel to Paris, TX, to take on Paris Junior College.  Game one of that doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m.