The Wayland Baptist Pioneers kept their hold on third place in the Sooner Athletic Conference standings with a series sweep over Mid-America Christian University over the weekend at Wilder Field. The Pioneers swept Friday's doubleheader 11-4 and 10-4, and won on Saturday by a score of 7-3.
After getting 24 hits in the two games on Friday, the Wayland hitters were held to six on Saturday, but they made them all count. Junior Kevin Hennessey hit a two-run line drive over the left field fence in the bottom of the first inning to put the Pioneers up 2-0. MACU cut the lead in half with a run in the sixth, but Hennessey made it 5-1 with a three-run blast on top of Hutcherson Center in the home half of the inning.
The Evangels put up two more runs in the seventh to close the gap to 5-3, but MIchael Prell's two-run bloop double down the right field line gave the Pioneers a four-run cushion.
Wayland pitcher Trevor Stringer, who had a no-hitter going until Justin Rivera looped a soft fly ball in the hole in left center with one out in the fifth, got the win, his third of the season. A junior from Lubbock, Stringer allowed six hits in 6-2/3 innings of work, giving up two earned runs and striking out three.
Justin Eatherly pitched the final 2-1/3 innings to record his first save of the season. Eatherly, a senior from Forney, allowed only one base runner on a walk, but that runner was quickly retired when Pioneer catcher Oscar Rivera threw him out stealing.
WBU (24-14, 14-7) is back at Wilder Field on Tuesday for a non-conference match-up against Eastern New Mexico University. Students from Edgemere Elementary will be the special guests of the Pioneers. First pitch of that single game is scheduled for 12 p.m.
