Neither team took batting practice before Saturday's conference doubleheader between the Pioneers and the USAO Drovers, allowing the field plenty of time to dry up after Friday's semi-blizzard... then again, game one of the twin bill provided all the practice the two offenses needed as the two teams combined for 31 runs on 26 hits in WBU's 17-14 victory.
Unfortunately for the Wayland faithful who withstood the cold temperatures and stayed for the nightcap, the Pioneer bats went silent at about the same time as the sun went down. USAO's Nate Hammons threw a complete game two-hit shutout in the Drovers' 5-0 game two victory.
The opener was an exciting back-and-forth affair which took 3-1/2 hours to play. USAO got on the board first with a solo home run from DH Kevin Carby in the second at bat of the game. Wayland responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning on a lead-off single by Brett Cook and back-to-back home runs by Franky Busani and Todd Jeffress.
After a scoreless second, the Drovers got two runs on two hits in the top half of the next inning. Busani went deep again in the bottom half with a three-run blast, followed by Josh Lucas who picked up an RBI with a solo shot to make it 7-3.
USAO took the lead in the fourth with five runs on three hits, including doubles by Greg Ylda and Brandt Lierle, but the Pioneers answered with four more runs in the home half of the inning.
Cook led off with a double to right. Allen traded places with him with a double down the right field line. Sheppard made it 10-8 with a two-run shot, and Jeffress got his 12th home run of the season two batters later to put WBU up 11-8.
Wayland relief pitcher Brett Swett, who got the final out in the fourth, got two quick outs in the fifth, but four straight USAO hits tied the game at 11.
The Pioneers took the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth. Bobby Curtis hit a lead-off double down the line, Cook walked, and Allen hit his second double of the game to score Curtis. Sheppard hit a sac fly, and after Busani was intentionally walked, Jeffress singled to center to pick up the third WBU run of the inning.
Senior pitcher Jason Kimzey pitched a scoreless sixth for the Pioneers, who then seemingly put the game out of reach with three more runs on four walks, a sac fly and two wild pitches.
The seventh got a little hairy for the Wayland fans when USAO picked up three runs, but Trevor Stringer came in with runners on the corners and nobody out to pick up his second save of the season.
Kimzey got the win for Wayland, his third of the season. Matt Sopic took the loss in relief for the Drovers.
The Pioneers were shutout for the second time this season in the second game. Hammons (6-2) gave up only singles to Cook in the third and Jeffress in the seventh. The junior southpaw struck out ten and walked four.
Todd Weldon was charged with the loss, just his second of the season. The junior from Carlsbad recorded nine strikeouts in his seven innings of work, giving up five runs on six hits and walking four.
The two teams will close out the series with the final game at 2 pm on Sunday.
