The #23 Pioneers played another close game with the top-ranked Chaparrals from Lubbock Christian, but just like in Lubbock on Thursday, WBU ended up just short of the victory, falling 9-6 on Senior Night at Wilder Field.
Unlike the previous two games, it was the Chaps that jumped out to the early lead in this one, scoring five runs on five hits in the first off Pioneer senior pitcher Todd Jeffress.
LCU got two more in the second on a one out two-run homer by Will Stramp, but Jeffress settled down after that, spreading out four hits and allowing just one run over his next three innings of work.
WBU finally got on the board with two outs in the fourth. After Keith Martin reached on an error, Josh Lucas blasted a 1-0 pitch over the fence in left.
Eddie Allen made it 8-5 in the fifth with a three-run homer down the line in right.
Brett Swett relieved Jeffress in the sixth, giving up just two hits and strikiing out four.
Martin crossed the plate again in the sixth on a RBI single through the right side by Pedro Gomez to get the Pioneers to within two runs.
LCU made it a three-run contest in the eighth, but Wayland threatened in the bottom half of the inning, putting two runners on with nobody out. Martin singled to lead off the inning and moved to second when Lucas was hit by a pitch, but Lubbock Christian's Jakob Cunningham came in to retire the next three batters.
Jason Kimzey had another strong showing for WBU, pitching the final inning-and-a-third, allowing just one hit.
With the top of the order up in the bottom of the ninth, the Pioneer faithful held out hope of a comeback, but Cunningham struck out the side to give the Chaps the deciding game of the series.
The Pioneers (40-13, 19-11) maintained a hold on the three seed for next week's conference tournament, despite the loss, since Southern Nazarene fell to Oklahoma City. WBU and SNU will meet in the first round of the tourney on Monday at a time still to be determined.
