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Box Score 2 WOODWARD, Okla. --- Mother Nature almost turned out to be the only victor in the Sooner Athletic Conference series between Wayland Baptist and Northwestern Oklahoma State. First high winds in Alva delayed the start of the series 24 hours, and then structural damage to the Rangers' new ballpark caused by those winds forced the three games to be moved to Woodward, 66 miles southwest of Alva.
When the two teams finally did get to play on Saturday afternoon, they splitthe doubleheader with each squad picking up a 6-3 win.Northwestern got the W in the first, while the Pioneers came back to take the nightcap.
NWOSUgot to Wayland ace Marcus Limon for six runs on nine hits in the opener. Limon struck out a season-low three batters in 5-2/3 innings of work, and got no help from his offense, which produced just five hits. Ranger pitchers J.C. Aguayo and Derek Epps combined to strike out ten Pioneer batters.
WBU had two extra base hits in the contest, a RBI double by Ben Christian and a triple off the bat of Eddie Allen. Brian Embery knocked in the other two runs on a single with two outs in the sixth.
In game two, the Pioneers punched out 13 hits, and pitcher Gabe Sandersius limited the hosts to just three in the victory.
The Rangers got on the board first after Kyle Weber's three-run homer in the first, but Sandersius allowed just two other hits in the final six innings. The senior lefty had some control issues, walking six, but struck out seven others. Aldo Mendez came in to get the final out in the seventh to pick up his fourth save.
Wayland tied the score in third on four hits. Christian singled up the middle with one out and advanced to third on Kevin Hennessey's base hit. Mendez brought home Christian on another single, and after Embery drew a two-out walk to load the bases, designated hitter Nick Noll plated two with a hit up the middle.
Allen and Christian led off the sixth with back-to-back singles. After Miguel Pagan laid down a sacrifice to advance the runners, Hennessey was intentionally walked. Mendez made the Rangers pay with a double to the gap in right center that scored two, and later Hennessey came home on a wild pitch.
Allen went four-for-five in the game. Mendez had three hits, including two doubles, and three RBI, and Christian scored twice on three hits.
Both squads need a win in the final game of the series at 5:30 Sunday afternoon to stay in the hunt for one of the eight berths in the conference tournament to be held May 4-6 at Wilder Field. NWOSU, 24-19 on the season, is currently in ninth place with league mark of 7-17, while the 21-24 Pioneers are in eighth with a 7-14 SAC record.
