Box Score Game 1
Box Score Game 2

     FORT WORTH, Texas - The Texas Wesleyan Rams opened the season with a pair of hard earned victories Friday against the Lambuth University Eagles, 1-0, and 4-3. If the first two games are any indication, the season will be full of excitement.

     Jason Hopson pitched a complete game shutout in the first contest allowing five hits and one walk while striking out four. Shortstop Billie Hicks hit a double into the right-centerfield gap to score second baseman Dan Bruce in the bottom of the 7th for the game’s only run.

     Dustin McKeel pitched 6 strong innings for the Eagles (0-2) before leaving for the game’s final inning. Jay Ham suffered the loss for Lambuth.

     In the second game, the Rams (2-0) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first on a double by Josh Vander Hey that scored Jason Vaughn.

     The Eagles fought back to take a 3-1 lead in the second inning, after the Rams committed two errors to extend the inning.

     Lambuth caught the fielding bug in the bottom of the 6th when Bruce reached first on an error and then advanced to second and third on a passed ball and a wild pitch. Mark Smajstrla’s pinch-hit single drove Bruce in to cut the lead to, 3-2.

     First baseman Travis Clifford then sent the fans home happy with a two-out double into right-center field that drove in Zach Archer and Hicks to win the game 4-3. The hit was sweet success for Clifford after going hitless in his previous six at-bats including a strikeout with the bases loaded in the third inning of the second game.

     “It was great to see that the guys didn’t give up today,” head coach Mike Jeffcoat said. “They kept battling all day long. We try to preach that if you think good things, good things will happen.”

     The Rams travel to Dallas Baptist University to take on the Patriots Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. Their next home game will be February 11th against Concordia-Lutheran. The doubleheader will begin at 1 p.m. at LaGrave Field.