RAMS LOSE HEARTBREAKER, 8-7
May 11, 2006

PLAINVIEW, TX:  A day after facing Oklahoma City’s offense which leads all of collegiate baseball in home runs this season, the Texas Wesleyan University baseball team (31-23) took on a Wayland Baptist team (32-26) that ranks first and second respectively in college baseball in doubles and home runs.  The Rams gave the Pioneers all they could handle and held a 7-6 lead in the ninth inning before falling 8-7 in the bottom of the ninth.

The Texas Wesleyan bats struck first when Josh Vander Hey got the Rams on the board in the second inning by drilling a Daren Davis offering over the right field wall for a two run homer.  Ross Elmore led off the third with a double down the right field line, and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Brandon Frazier.

Wayland Baptist plated two runs on a Chasen DeLeon double in the bottom of the third to pull within one at 3-2.

The Rams got one of those runs back in the sixth, when Zach Archer hit a leadoff double, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Travis Clifford groundout.

DeLeon hit a solo-homer in the bottom of the sixth to bring the score to 4-3, but the Rams answered again, this time with a Brandon Frazier double and a sacrifice fly from Clifford in the eighth.

In the bottom of the eighth the Pioneers plated three runs on three hits highlighted by a two-out RBI single up the middle from Trey Roberson.

In the top of the ninth Chris Palmer knotted the game at six when he smashed a leadoff home run.  J.R. Phelps followed with a base hit, and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Elmore.  Frazier then plated Phelps with a single up the middle to put Texas Wesleyan back on top 7-6.

In the bottom of the ninth, Jonathan Torres hit a leadoff double Sam Hayden later tied the game with an RBI double.  After Jonathan Reynoso reached on an error, the Rams intentially walked Sean Iverson to load the bases with two outs.  That set the table for Israel Castillo, who had not reached base in the game.  Castillo however, came through in the clutch with a game-winning RBI single up the middle.

Josh Vander Hey led the Rams by going 3-4 with two RBI.  Brandon Frazier added a 2-4 performance with two RBI.  Sam Hayden led the Pioneers by going 4-4 at the plate, while Chasen DeLeon knocked in three runs.

Richard Cruz (5-2) took the win after allowing two runs on three hits in 1.1 innings of relief.  Hayden Lackey (2-4) suffered the loss after allowing one unearned run in one third inning of work.

Junior right-hander Weston Wood was extremely impressive against the high-powered Pioneer offense, allowing four runs on five hits while striking out a career-high ten hitters in seven innings pitched.

The loss ends a strong season for Texas Wesleyan.  For the third time in four seasons, the Rams posted a 30-win campaign.  They also reached the RRAC Championship game this season.