Rams churn out 27 runs in doubleheader sweep of Philander Smith (Ark.)

AUSTIN – Huston-Tillotson University's baseball team slugged out 27 runs over two games Friday as the Rams swept an HBCU Athletic Conference doubleheader from Philander Smith (Ark.).

At Downs Field in East Austin, the Rams (21-15, 9-5 HBCUAC West) won the first game by a score of 9-1, then doubled their output in the second game as they triumphed 18-1.

GAME ONE: HT Rams 9, Philander Smith (Ark.) 1

Ethan Walker struck out 11 batters over seven innings en route to the complete-game victory. A junior from La Vernia, Texas (McMurry University), Walker won his conference-leading sixth game of the season.

The Rams struck first with four runs in the second inning, with Noah Alvarez' two-run, bases-loaded single highlighting the inning. Kadarien Harris also had an RBI single in the inning.

Leading 4-1 in the bottom of the third, senior shortstop Tucker Allen hit an inside-the-park, three-run homerun to stretch HT's lead to 7-1. In his second season at HT after transferring from Odessa College, Allen's homerun was his first as an HT Ram.

Jaden Corzine gave the Rams two more insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth with a two-RBI single that scored Trey Garza and Alvarez.

GAME TWO: HT Rams 18, Philander Smith (Ark.) 1

In game two, the Rams scored in all six innings in which they batted and gave pitcher Weston Bailey a comfortable lead with an eight-run second inning. Trey Garza knocked a two-RBI bases-loaded single to open the second-inning scoring, while Josh Wilk capped the inning with a two-run homerun.

Garza, whose .368 batting average ranks second in the HBCUAC's West Division, went 3-for-3 with five RBIs in the game. Payton Johnson went 4-for-5 with three RBIs, matching Wilk's three RBIs in the game.

Cozine and Jacob Perez each collected two RBIs in game two, with Corzine going 3-for-4 with two runs scored, and Perez getting two hits in three official at-bats.

Meanwhile, Bailey struck out five batters while scattering seven hits over six innings, giving up only a single unearned run. Edgar Muniz pitched the seventh inning and, despite hitting two batters and loading the bases, kept the Panthers scoreless in the final frame. 

The Rams and Panthers conclude their series Saturday, March 28. First pitch is scheduled of 1 p.m. at Downs Field.

– HT –