Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Kevin Hennessey and Miguel Pagan had two home runs each and Marcus Limon struck out ten batters in five innings of work during the Pioneers' home-opening, doubleheader sweep of the University of the Southwest. Limon was the winner in game one, a 10-0 five-inning victory. Newcomer Kevin Burbank got his second win of the season, getting a 10-8 decision.
The opener was scoreless until the third when senior shortstop Eddie Allen reached on an error. Two batters later, third baseman Miguel Pagan got the first homer of the season at Wilder Field, a two-run shot over the left field fence. Hennessey followed with a single just inside the third base line. Designated hitter Nick Noll got a hit to right, and Nic Shadle, the WBU rightfielder, made it 3-0 with a single through the right side.
Wayland added four more in the fourth on singles off the bats of Allen and Pagan, a walk, and a three-run shot by Hennessey that just cleared the wall in left.
The game ended with one out in the fifth. A walk, back-to-back doubles by Scott Keane and Allen, and a throwing error gave WBU the ten-run victory. Limon threw the complete game, allowing just three hits.
The Pioneers scored seven runs in the first two innings of the second game. Aldo Mendez got it all started with a lead-off double. Allen and Pagan singled, and Hennessey lifted his fifth home run of the season over the wall in straight-away centerfield.
Three runs in the second were scored off one swing of the bat by Pagan, who launched his second of the season over the left centerfield fence.
Sophomore catcher Chris Lee hit the third three-run homer of the game in the fourth to wrap up Wayland's scoring.
The Mustangs scored three in the third inning off Burbank, and five more in the final two innings off WBU relief pitching to make things interesting. Burbank allowed three runs on nine hits in his five innings of work. The southpaw struck out one and walked one while throwing just 65 pitches.
The two teams will face each other for another double-dipper on Saturday afternoon in Hobbs, NM beginning at noon mountain time.
