Texas Wesleyan baseball completes three-game sweep of Northwood University

by PegNews wire

The eighth ranked Texas Wesleyan University baseball team (27-7) improved to 9-0 in Red River Athletic Conference play by completing a three-game sweep of Northwood University (12-24, 2-4 RRAC) on Monday. The Rams took game one of today’s doubleheader 6-3 and took the nightcap by a score of 7-1.

In game one, Ryan Riddle faced the minimum through three innings allowing only a leadoff single to Nick Littrell who was later doubled off.

The Rams broke through in the bottom of the third, taking a 4-0 lead with RBI singles from Josh Vander Hey and Ross Elmore and a two-run single by Ryan Jacobi after Jason Diaz led off the frame with a double to left center.

Vander Hey knocked in Brandon Frazier in the fourth inning after Frazier ripped a one-out triple down the right field line.

The Knights got their leadoff hitter on base in four of the first five innings, but failed to score until Brian Avers helped his own cause with an RBI single in the fifth. Northwood then took advantage of a Texas Wesleyan miscue to bring the score to 5-2.

An RBI single from Austin Kent brought the Knights within two in the sixth inning, but Jesse Wright held the lead by stranding runners at the corners. Brandon Frazier got that run back in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI single.

Ryan Riddle improved to 6-0 by allowing three runs, two earned, on five hits while striking out seven in 5.1 innings pitched. Hayden Lackey worked a scoreless seventh for his 10th save of the season.

Avers allowed five runs, three earned, on nine hits in five innings of work.

Vander Hey went 3-for-4 with two RBI for the Rams while Frazier and Elmore added two hits apiece.

In game two, the Rams got on the board in the second inning when Victor Burgos drove in Ryan Jacobi with a groundball. Brandon Frazier led off the third and was hit by a pitch and later scored on a single from Jacobi.

Meanwhile Caleb Thomas retired each of the first fourteen Knights he faced. Cody Via broke up the perfect game with a two-out single in the fifth and came around to score on a single from Avers.

The Rams stretched out their lead with three runs in a fifth inning highlighted by a two-run double from Jacobi, and added two unearned runs in the eighth.

Caleb Thomas (8-1) allowed one run on four hits while striking out five in four innings of work. Larry Vela came on to work the final 1.2 innings.

Ryan Jacobi went 3-for-4 with three RBI at the plate. Brandon Frazier added another two hit performance.

The Rams return to LaGrave field on Tuesday, when they host Howard Payne University. Game one of that doubleheader is scheduled to start at 3:00 p.m.

Source: Texas Wesleyan University