Baseball
TWU Homers Past USAO

FORT WORTH, Texas – Home runs in the third and eighth inning were the difference as the University of Science and Arts fell to No. 18 Texas Wesleyan 4-2 Tuesday afternoon at TWU’s LaGrave Field.

A lead off walk, and a two-out base hit led to TWU’s first run and a 1-0 lead in the second inning. TWU added two more runs in the third with a two-run homer given up by reliever Alfonso Cardenas.

USAO answered in the third as Cody Hines reached base to begin the inning after being hit by a pitch. Brad Sylvester, pinch running for Hines, and Cody Howard scored on a base hit by Joel Atchley.

Down 3-2, TWU added insurance run in the eighth inning with a two-out, pinch-hit home run off of Rickey Duke.

In the ninth, Ryan Birney started a Drover rally with his 17th career double and eighth of the season. Howard, representing the tying, run reached after being hit by a pitch. But Atchley, who had gone 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI on the day, flied out to right field to end the game.

USAO fell to 20-23 overall with the non-conference loss. Brian Hunnicutt earned his 16th start of the season on the mound and gave up just one earned run on two hits. Shane Files, Bill Boss and Ken Wieda combined for 4 1/3 scoreless innings while allowing only three hits. Files retired 10 of 12 batters faced with three strikeouts.

USAO finishes the regular season with a three-game series against Northwestern Oklahoma (8-34, 4-23). The Drovers travel to Alva for a nine-inning game at 2 p.m. Thursday. Then the regular season wraps up with a home doubleheader at 1 p.m. at Bill Smith Ballpark.

The team will then travel to Plainview, Texas, and the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament hosted by Wayland Baptist University. The tournament begins April 29.

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