RAMS AND RAIDERS PLAY THRILLER
March 29, 2006

LUBBOCK, TX:  The Texas Wesleyan University baseball team (13-10) traveled to Lubbock on Wednesday to take on Texas Tech University (20-9) for the first time in program history.  The game was expected to be a blow out favoring the power from the Big XII Conference, but Texas Wesleyan of the NAIA’s Red River Athletic Conference gave the Red Raiders all they could handle, holding leads in the 10th and 12th innings before falling 12-11 in the bottom of the twelfth in front of 1,877 fans at Dan Law Field.

Caleb Thomas made the start for the Rams and held Tech to six runs (four earned) on eight hits in six innings of work.

In the third, Jason Diaz singled, and Zach Archer was hit by a pitch.  A wild pitch put runners on second and third and the Red Raiders walked Travis Clifford to load the bases; however, another wild pitch gave the Rams a 1-0 lead.  Josh Vander Hey followed with an RBI single to give the Rams a 2-0 margin.

Texas Tech responded with four runs, all with two outs, in the bottom of the third courtesy of a pair of two run homers from Matt Smith and Joey Callender.

A single from Jeff Piaskowski and a double by Brandon Frazier cut the deficit to 4-3 in the top of the fourth.  Tech then expanded its lead in the fifth with two runs on two hits and a walk.

The score remained 6-3 entering the ninth, but the game got interesting in a hurry.  With one out, Kent Russell drew a walk, and Brandon Frazier singled through the right side.  After Diaz walked to load the bases, Archer ripped a single through the left side to score two runs, and with two outs, Diaz stole third and scored the tying run on a throwing error by the Texas Tech catcher.

Hayden Lackey set the Raiders down in order in the bottom of the frame to send the game to extra innings.

Things were looking good for the Rams in the top of the tenth when Billie Hicks got a leadoff single, and Piaskowski followed with a two run bomb to left.  Texas Wesleyan made it 9-6 with an RBI single from Archer heading into the bottom of the tenth.

The Raiders got back-to-back doubles from Trey Stewart and Kyle Martin to start the tenth.  After an RBI single from James Leverton, a TWU error let the tying run score with two outs.

The game remained tied through eleven, but the Rams scored two in the twelfth when Archer ripped another RBI single scoring Diaz, and JR Phelps came around to score on an error.  Unfortunately, a pair of Wesleyan errors led to three runs in the bottom of the twelfth, and Texas Tech escaped with a 12-11 win.

The Rams out hit the Raiders 18-13, but six errors led to four unearned runs.  They were led by Zach Archer who went 4-6 with a run and 4 RBI.  Billie Hicks went 3-6 in the contest and Jason Diaz, Josh Vander Hey, Jeff Piaskowski, and Chris Palmer each added a pair of hits.

Hayden Lackey (2-2) suffered the loss after allowing six runs (four earned) on five hits in 4.2 innings of work.  Texas Tech’s David Dinsmoore earned the win by tossing three innings and allowing two runs on four hits.