Ft. Worth, Texas – Junior pitcher Martin Nolasco pitched 6.2 solid innings in the opening game of a doubleheader that the Mid-America Christian University Evangels won 3-1 over the Texas Wesleyan University Rams last night (Mar. 7) in Ft. Worth, Texas. The Rams rallied in the second game to win 8-5 and salvage a split.
Nolasco struck out seven and allowed only earned run before turning over a 3-1 lead to Wyatt Glasgow with two outs in the seventh.
The Rams had already scored one run in the inning and Glasgow entered with two outs and the tying runs on base.
Following a wild pitch that put the tying run in scoring position, he induced a flyout to center to pick up his fourth save of the season and make a winner out of Nolasco.
The Evangels took the lead with two runs in the second as Chevin Noone, Reggie Lindsey and Aaron Conway led off with singles that loaded the bases with no outs.
After Noone was thrown out at home on a fielder's choice, Daniel Thompson reached on a fielder's choice that plated Lindsey before a wild pitch chased home Conway.
Matt Cruz then singled home Conway in the sixth that put the Evangels up by three runs.
Lindsey went 2-of-3 at the dish for the Evangels in the opener.
The Rams grabbed the lead in the first inning of the nightcap when Jake Howeth tripled with one out and scored on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Kamtz. Dusteyn Suttle then reached on an infield single and eventually stole home for the second run of the inning.
MACU (7-10, 1-3 SAC) broke through in the fourth by playing small ball that led to a five-run frame.
Daniel Thompson led off the inning with a bunt single and was chased to second on a single by Brandon Schoelkopf. Thompson then stole third and Schoelkopf took second on a double steal that led to an RBI bunt single by Logan Glasgow that got the Evangels on the board.
A wild pitch plated Schoelkopf and an error later scored Glasgow and A.J. Wilson, while an RBI single by Lindsey plated Chevin Noone to finish the inning.
The Rams got a run back in the bottom of the fourth before the game-deciding five-run sixth inning.
A bases-loaded walk to Matt Horn resulted in the first run and Nathaniel Dillon had a two-run single in the inning for TWU. The final two runs were scored on a fielding error.
The Evangels didn't go quietly and loaded the bases with one out in the top of the seventh, but a double-play ended the threat and closed out the win for the Rams (7-10, 1-1 SAC).
Christian Hill started for MACU and went 5.1 innings, with two earned runs allowed and three strikeouts.
Ben Russell was the starter for the Rams in the second game and lasted four innings, giving up three earned runs and striking out six. Avery Sullivan then came on and blanked the Evangels over the final three innings to get the win.
Thompson again got two hits in three at-bats in the nightcap for the Evangels.
The two schools attempted to wrap up the three-game series today (Mar. 8), but it was rained out. It is now scheduled to be made up on Mar. 18 in Ft. Worth, Texas.
