COLLEGE BASEBALL: EAGLES VS. TEXAS WESLEYAN,
TWU clubs 5 homers in 11-8 win
Texas A&M University-Texarkana wanted to play a baseball game Wednesday. Instead, 12th-ranked Texas Wesleyan University turned the competition at George Dobson Field into a home run derby.
The Rams (33-11) hit five home runs, including two by third baseman Luis Roman, to beat A&M-Texarkana in nine innings, 11-8. Roman scored three times and drove in five runs with his 12th and 13th roundtrippers of the season.
It was total domination for nearly seven innings with Ram starter Evan Rogers retiring the last 13 batters he faced as TWU built an 11-0 cushion. Rogers allowed only three hits and struck out five during his six innings of work.
TWU coach Mike Jeffcoat, a former Pine Bluff standout who went on to pitch at Louisiana Tech and 10 years in the majors, pulled Rogers in the
seventh in favor of closer Brad Sugg. Jeffcoat might have been second-guessing himself later.
The Eagles (27-20) scored eight runs on eight hits in the final three innings against three TWU relievers.
“Their first guy (Rogers) chewed us up pretty good; he had a good sinker working,” Texarkana coach Steve Jones said. “We’re having a hard time with our guys on the mound right now. We used two position guys (Ethan Davis and Cade Davis) on the mound there at the end. We got taken out early, giving up a lot of runs.” It was a nightmare start for the Eagles. Blake Seaton walked on four pitches to start the game, and Caden Williams reached on an infield error on the next pitch. Jason Jones’ next offering was smashed over the fence in right-center. One out later Kiki Menendez hit his seventh long ball of the season to make it 4-0.
Seaton hit a solo shot in the second to make it 5-0. Roman lined his second homer in the fifth over the green wall in center, and pinch-hitter Tanner McMahon hit a bomb in the sixth to make it 11-0.
“They went to the bullpen and we were able to make it competitive,” Jones said. “They’ve got a very good baseball team, we beat them in the regional last year with (Teddy) Henderson on the mound. With the right guy on the mound it might have been a little different today. I’m proud of the way we fought back and got into the game.”
Texarkana’s offense got untracked with two outs in the seventh when Cade Thomason walked and Sugg hit George Gugino and Alex Kugler to load the bases. Pinch-hitter Madison Roberts delivered a two-run double, ending the Rams’ hopes on an early end via the run-rule.
TWU’s only error helped the Eagles scored four more runs in the eighth. Cade Davis singled up to middle, and Cameron Frost was safe on an infield error. Austin Vicnair made it 11-3 with a double down the leftfield line, and Gugino doubled home two more runs one out later. He scored when Kugler singled to center on the next pitch.
The Eagles refused to go quietly in the ninth.
Darren Alexander single to center to start A&M’s final at-bats, and raced to second on Cole Beckham’s blooper to right. Alexander would score on Frost’s first hit of the game, and Beckham touched home on a fielder’s choice grounder by Vicnair.
Reliever Chandler Muckleroy got Nick Anderson on a fly to center that ended the game.
Texarkana travels to Marshall for the opener of an important three-game series with Wylie College. Texas Wesleyan 410 033 000 – 11 14 1 A&M-Texarkana 000 000 242 – 8 11 3 Evan Rogers, Brad Sugg (7), Alex Davis (8), Chandler Muckleroy (9) and Garrett Crook, Aiden Laurini (7). Jason Jones, Caleb Dunn (5), Taylor McMackin (7), Ethan Davis (7), Cade Davis (9) and Michael Moore. WP-Rogers (7-2); LP-Jones (4-6). HR-TWU, Luis Roman, 1st, 2 on; Kiki Mnendez, 1st, none on; Blake Seaton, 2nd, none on; Roman, 5th, 1 on; Tanner McMahon, 6th, 1 on.