The WBU Pioneers traveled to Oklahoma in need of at least two wins against 17th-ranked Southern Nazarene to get back into the NAIA's Top 25. Neither of Thursday's games were a thing of beauty, but the Pioneers managed to get away with a couple of W's, squeaking by in the opener 7-6, and taking the nightcap by a score of 6-4.
In game one, Todd Jeffress hit three home runs in his first three at bats to plate four WBU runs, but even that wasn't enough as the Pioneers committed five errors in the contest's first five innings, resulting in six unearned runs. With his team trailing 6-5 in the top of the seventh, Wayland catcher Brett Sheppard won an eight-pitch battle with Crimson Storm hard-throwing reliever Josh Cephas to draw a one-out walk. Franky Busani followed up with a bloop single, and after a wild pitch advanced both runners, Josh Lucas gave WBU the lead for good with a two-run single to right center.
Marcus Limon threw the first 5-2/3 innings, allowing just four hits and striking out six Crimson Storm batters. Trevor Stringer picked up his fourth win of the season, pitching the final inning-and-a-third.
Jeffress' big day began with a two-run homer in the second, and solo shots in the fourth and sixth. Eddie Allen and Busani had two hits each, and Brett Cook got a double.
The Pioneers scored three runs in the first inning of game two on a lead-off single off the bat of Allen, a sacrifice bunt by Cook, and a run-scoring hit from Sheppard. After Jeffress was intentionally walked to load the bases, Limon plated two runs on a base hit to the gap in right center.
Leftfielder Courtney Williams brought home Busani with a hit in the fourth that gave Wayland a 4-1 lead, but the Storm came back with two in the home half of the fourth to close the margin to one run.
Lucas came through in the clutch again in the sixth, belting a two-run homer over the left field fence to extend the Pioneer lead to 6-3.
Todd Weldon (8-1), working on three days rest, fought off wildness to pitch 4-1/3 innings. The junior gave up two earned runs on five hits, striking out four, and walking three. Junior reliever Brett Swett came in with a runner on second and one out in the fifth to retire the next two batters. After the first two batters reached in the sixth, Jason Kimzey came on to record an out, before giving way to Jeffress, who served up a double play ball to get the Pioneers out of the inning with the 6-4 lead.
Jeffress picked up his first save of the season with a strong seventh inning, striking out the final two batters of the contest.
The Pioneers (24-7, 9-5) will go for the series sweep against the Storm (22-7, 6-5) on Friday beginning at noon.
