NORTHWOOD TAKES TWO ON SENIOR DAY
April 22, 2006

FORT WORTH, TX:  The Texas Wesleyan University softball team (28-18, 16-6 RRAC) dropped a pair of games against Northwood University (23-16, 12-6) on Senior Day at Sycamore Park.  The Knights took game one 8-0 and game two 8-2.

Prior to the start of game two, the Rams honored three outstanding seniors.  Michelle Perez played her 100th game at Texas Wesleyan in the opener.  Perez holds a career OBP of .301.  Devin Blew pitched game one.  The right-hander entered the game leading the team in ERA (2.81), wins (9), and strikeouts (60).  Marie Stone has also had an outstanding senior season.  She leads the Lady Rams in AVG (.429) and runs scored (49), and has been named RRAC Player of the Week twice this season.

In game one, the Knights put an unearned run on the board in the first inning.  In the second, they used a pair of Texas Wesleyan errors and six singles to score five more.

Northwood made it 8-0 with RBI singles from Katie Purschel and Krystal Lavato in the top of the sixth.

Kayla Maddox tossed a four-hit shutout, striking out four in six innings pitched.  Devin Blew fell to 9-3 on the season after allowing six runs (two earned) on six hits in 1.2 innings pitched.

In game two, the Knights put up another unearned run in the first innings.  The Rams threatened in each of the first two innings, but stranded five base runners.  An RBI single from Faira Harward in the fourth brought the score to 2-0.

In the fifth, the Knights put four runs on the board thanks largely to a three-run homer from Maddox.  In the bottom of the fifth, the Rams finally broke the drought with Marie Stone’s 14th homer of the season, a solo shot with two outs.  However, a two run homer from Kayla Maddox in the seventh put the game out of reach at 8-1.

Texas Wesleyan tacked on singles from Ariel Raley and Rachel Hampton in the bottom of the seventh, but it was not enough as Northwood came away with the 8-2 win.

Marie Stone (3-6) pitched well but suffered the loss after allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits in 3.1 innings of work.  Ashley Westermen earned the win by scattering 10 hits over seven innings and allowing just two runs.

Stone led the Rams at the plate with a 2-3 performance including a home run.  Michelle Perez turned in a pair of hits in the doubleheader.

The Rams play their final home game on Monday, when they host Northwestern Oklahoma State University at Sycamore Park.  Game one is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m.