RAMS SCORE 28 IN SWEEP OF MARIETTA
March 14, 2008

Box Score - Game One

Box Score - Game Two

FORT WORTH, TX:  The Texas Wesleyan Baseball team (15-8) scored in all but three innings on their way to a doubleheader sweep of Marietta College (2-9) at LaGrave Field on Friday.  The Rams took game one 20-10 and game two 8-3.

After Antoine Cole led off the second inning with a double down the left field line, the Rams took advantage of a Marietta error to score a pair of runs.  Two more Marietta errors and singles from Blake Walker and Jerry Fisher led to four more Texas Wesleyan runs in the third.

Marietta came back with three in the fourth on an RBI single from Chris Dowdell and an error from the Rams.  In the bottom of the fourth, the Rams got consecutive singles from Zach Smith, Walker, Cole, and Butch Ballez before Fisher cleared the bases with a triple into the gap in left center.  Mikey Valdez later brought Fisher in with a double, giving the Rams five runs on six hits in the frame.

Marietta scratched its way back into the ballgame in the fifth.  The express took advantage of another Rams miscue and a two-run double from Brennan Cribbins to score four runs and bring the score to 11-7.

However, the Rams batted around for the third straight inning in the bottom of the fifth, scoring six runs on three hits and four walks.  A three-run homer from Ballez in the bottom of the sixth brought the score to 20-10.

Matt Chutchian (1-0) got the win after working a scoreless 0.2 innings of relief.  T.J. Knowlton (2-1) took the loss after allowing 11 runs, six earned, on 10 hits in 3.2 innings of work.

Cole was a perfect 3-for-3 with five runs scored for Texas Wesleyan.  Fisher added three hits in five at bats while driving in three and scoring twice.  Ballez went 2-for-3 with five RBI and four runs scored. 

In game two, Marietta loaded the bases with two outs and scored one run on a walk before Jesse Wright closed the door.  Texas Wesleyan started the game with singles from Brandon Frazier, Cole, and Smith before Walker ripped a double into the left center alley.  The Rams then made it 5-1 with RBI doubles from Frazier and Cole in the second.

Brad Henderson singled and scored for the Rams in the fourth.  Marietta loaded the bases with nobody out in the fifth, but Hayden Lackey entered the game, induced a double-play ball, and limited the damage to two runs.

A Marietta error and an RBI sinlge from Zach Smith in the sixth brought the score to 8-3 favoring the Rams.

Lackey (3-1) got the win after allowing just one hit in three innings of relief work.  Joe Pitrone (0-2) allowed six runs on 11 hits in 3.1 innings of work in the loss.

Frazier went 4-for-4 with a stolen base, an RBI, two doubles, and three runs.  Cole wrapped up an outstanding day by going 3-for-4 with a double, a stolen base, an RBI, and two runs scored.  Zach Smith extended his hitting streak to nine games after going 2-for-2 at the plate in game one and 2-for-4 with three RBI in game two.

The Rams will return to action on Tuesday, when they host the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.  That game is scheduled to start at 3:00 p.m. at LaGrave Field.