(Fort Worth, TX) The Park University Gilbert baseball team dropped a pair of seven inning games to No. 12 Texas Wesleyan on a rainy afternoon, losing game one 4-3 and game two 14-4. The Bucs fall to 1-4 on the season.
Game 1 – No. 12 Texas Wesleyan 4, Park Gilbert 3
The Buccaneers fell in game one of the double dip 4-3. Both teams did all of their damage in one inning. The Rams did theirs in the bottom of the first and the Bucs did theirs in the top of the fourth.
Texas Wesleyan scored four in the first off of Bucs starter KJ Ward. While the Ram hitters were late on the Ward fastball, their balls still found holes on the field. A lead off single to right field followed by a double down the right field line which scored the first run. A ground out scored the next run before a double down the left field line scored the third run of the inning. Finally, a single to center closed out the scoring for the Rams.
Ward would settle down and not allow a run over the next three innings, although he did have to pitch out of a jam in the fourth where the first two batters reached via a hit by pitch and a single. They then advanced to second and third on a wild pitch. A diving grab of a line drive by shortstop Brendan Blakeman held the runners, then Ward struck out the Rams three and four hole hitters to end the inning.
The Bucs made a game of it in the top half of the fourth inning as Cole Sneed and Diego Bejarano walked to get things started. An error by the Rams third baseman scored Will Fleecerunning for Sneed. After a pitching change Bejarano scored on a balk. Brendan Blakemanwould complete the scoring drilling a single to center to score Caleb Rozier.
Ward (0-1) would go four innings allowing four runs on five hits, striking out four. He did walk three and hit two batters. DJ Martin came in and threw two scoreless innings, not allowing a hit and striking out three.
Brendan Blakeman went 2-3 at the plate while Sneed, Andrew Allanson and Nick Miller recorded the other hits.
Allanson started the game at catcher but was taken out after taking a foul ball off of his right arm.
Game 2, No. 12 Texas Wesleyan 14. Park Gilbert 4 – 5 Innings
The Bucs jumped out on top in the first as Rozier reached on an error. After stealing second, Jesh Leckey scored him with a single to center.
The Rams responded with a six-run second inning off of Bucs starter Eduardo Crosby (0-1). A double which scored one run was followed by the big knock, a grand slam from nine hole hitter Hayden Hutchins to make it 5-1. After a single and a passed ball, another single drove in the sixth run of the inning.
The Bucs cut into the lead in the third as Rozier doubled, followed by two deep flyouts by Leckey and Shane Erickson to allow Rozier to advance on both of them.
After holding the Ram bats scoreless in the first, Bucs pitching continued to surrender runs in each of the following innings.
In addition to the six run second, Texas Wesleyan added two in the third and three in the fourth off of freshman Diego Bellozo Pacheco making his collegiate debut.
Park scored two of its own in the fifth as the Rozier, Leckey and Erickson triumvirate again produced a run as Rozier collected his second hit, Leckey reached via error and Erickson had his second sac fly of the game. A walk and a hit by pitch loaded the bases and then left fielder Tommy Pinnow drew a bases loaded walk to score another run.
Texas Wesleyan tacked on three in the fifth off of Angel Heredia to make it a 10-run lead and the game was ended after five due to rain.
Crosby (0-2) takes the loss on the mound for the Buccaneers.
The Buccaneers finish the road trip tomorrow afternoon as they take on Benedictine College (Kansas) in two more seven inning double headers starting at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Arizona time.
Press Release courtesy of Park University Athletics – Preston English
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