By Alan Wiederhold
HT Athletic Communications
AUSTIN – A change of venue fortunately did not change the end results for Huston-Tillotson University's baseball team Saturday as they swept a doubleheader from Arlington Baptist at Downs Field.
Facing Arlington Baptist for the second time in three days, the Rams opened Saturday's play with an 8-3 win before walking off a second win by a score of 9-8 in extra innings.
HT (12-10) ran their winning streak to four games, all against ABU. The Rams return to action Wednesday afternoon when they visit NCAA Division I Prairie View for a single, nine-inning game that begins at 2 p.m.
GAME ONE: HT Rams 8, Arlington Baptist 3
The Rams gave their starting pitcher Weston Bailey a comfortable lead to work with thanks to a four-run second inning that build the HT lead to 5-0. ABU cut the lead to 5-3 in the middle innings before the Rams plated three more in the bottom of the sixth.
Bailey, a senior transfer from Austin and NCAA Division II Ouachita Baptist, went all seven innings and struck out six batters while issuing only one walk. He scattered seven hits en route to an 87-pitch victory, improving his season record to 1-2.
Jacob Perez led HT's offensive attack with a 2-for-3 game at the plate and three RBIs. He hit a two-run homerun in the bottom of the sixth inning, and capped HT's scoring in the second with an RBI single that scored Trey Garza from first base.
HT took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Joseph Brown, running for catcher Danny Hernandez, scored on a wild pitch. Tucker Allen and Trey Garza picked up RBI singles in the bottom of the second prior to Perez' RBI as part of the Rams' big inning.Â
After giving up two runs in the fourth and another in the top of the fifth, Bailey breezed through the final two innings, allowing only one baserunner, a two-out single in the top of the seventh, before ending the game.
GAME TWO: HT Rams 9, Arlington Baptist 8 (Eight innings)
In the evening contest, HT prevailed 9-8 in a wild, back-and-forth contest that saw the lead change hands five times before the Rams triumphed in an extra eighth inning.
Trailing 5-4 with one out in the bottom of the sixth, the Rams placed four consecutive runners on base. Allen's RBI single to left field scored Kadarien Harris from second base and tied the score
After Garza loaded the bases with another single, Christian Medina reclaimed the lead for HT with a groundout to second that allowed Alec Worden to score. Hernandez then capped the scoring with an RBI single to left on a 3-1 count, scoring Allen and stretching the Rams' lead to 7-5.
In the top of the seventh and final scheduled inning, the first three Patriots reached base before Vince Nandin reclaimed the lead with a bases-clearing double. The Pats might have done more damage had Nandin not been thrown out at third base trying to stretch his hit to a triple. The out was credited with right-fielder Alijah Merkson's throw to shortstop Allen to third baseman Trey Garza.
HT pitcher Evan Mendoza struck out and walked the next two hitters before Sam Lozano came out of the HT bullpen. He induced a line-drive out from ABU pinch-hitter Keller Hensley to end the inning with the Rams trailing 8-7.
Needing a run, the Rams opened the bottom of the seventh with Jaden Corzine drawing a walk. After Josh Wilk moved him over to second with a sacrifice bunt, pinch-hitter Kendall Brown's double to left-centerfield scored Corzine and again tied the game.
Lozano got out of the top of the eighth by retiring the last three hitters after a leadoff walk. In the bottom of the eighth, the Rams loaded the bases with one out before Corzine ended the contest with a sacrifice fly that scored Joseph Brown.
Medina went 2-for-3 with two RBIs in the game. Hernandez went 2-for-2 with a pair of RBIs after entering the game as a pinch hitter.
Lozano picked up his first victory of the season and first since the 2024 season after sitting out last year with an injury. Ryan Resendiz started and pitched five innings for the Rams, striking out four while allowing five runs.
– HT –
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