The Park University Gilbert baseball team dropped a double header to Texas Wesleyan today 2-0 and 8-7 at Sycamore Park in Fort Worth, Texas. The Bucs only managed one hit in the game one pitcher's duel, and late seventh inning rally fell short in game two.
Game 1 – Texas Wesleyan 2, Park-Gilbert 0
KJ Ward threw four shutout innings, allowing one hit and striking out three, but he was matched by TWU hurler Samuel Mendez who went six innings also allowing only one hit and struck out eight.
The lone Buccaneer hit came in the first inning from center fielder Tommy Pinnow who stole second with two outs but was left stranded. The only other baserunner the Buccaneers mustered was a walk by freshman Jim Achen III in the second inning. After the walk, Mendez would retire the next 14 Buccaneers in a row to finish out his outing. Ty Sampson pitched a 1-2-3 seventh to pick up the save.
Ward matched Mendez with an impressive four innings, only allowing an infield single and he did not walk a batter. Trey Langan (0-2) came on in relief and threw a scoreless fifth. But the Rams were able to get on the board in the sixth. Langan hit the leadoff hitter, the Rams executed a sacrifice bunt to move him over and then a single gave them the lead. After a stolen base, another single brough home the second and final run of the game.
Game 2 – Texas Wesleyan 8, Park-Gilbert 7
The Bucs got the opening salvo in game two, as the Rams committed two errors in the opening frame to allow Pinnow to score and give the Bucs their first lead of the series.
It was a short-lived lead however as the Rams touched up starter Xavier Merrit for three runs in the first.
The Bucs would go scoreless over the next four innings with only one hit. The Rams would add solo runs in the third and fourth innings, plus two runs in the fifth.
Each team would add a solo run in the sixth. Pinnow continued his hot start to the season with a double in the inning and would score on an Achen III sacrifice fly.
Park would make things interesting in the seventh. A single, a hit by pitch and two walks would score the first run of the inning. Pinnow would score the second run with a sac fly and then with two outs, Trey Markham would hit his first home run as a Buc, a three-run blast to cut the lead to one. But after a pitching change, the Bucs struck out to end the game and the comeback was thwarted.
Merrit (0-1) took the loss on the bump for the Bucs.
Park finishes the Texas road trip tomorrow as they take on Jarvis Christian at Sycamore Park in Fort Worth in another double header.
