Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Wayland Baptist got two complete games from its starting pitchers on a record-breaking Thursday against St. Gregory's University at Wilder Field. Marcus Limon struck out 13 in the opener to establish a new single season strikeout record in a 4-3 extra-inning victory. Gabe Sandersius followed with a ten strikeout performance in the nightcap and Kevin Hennessey tied the career home run mark in a 6-2 win.
Limon, who picked up his ninth Â'W' of the season, surpassed the previous strikeout mark of 120 set by Todd Weldon in 2009. The senior from Lubbock has a NAIA-leading 122 K's so far this season.
Three of the four hits Limon allowed in the first game came in the fourth. After back-to-back singles to lead off the inning, SGU third baseman Trevor Nelson hit a three-run bomb over the fence in left to give the Cavaliers a 3-2 lead. The home run was the final hit of the game given up by Limon who allowed only one baserunner - and that was a hit batter - in the final four innings of play.
Eddie Allen gave the Pioneers the early lead with his third long ball of the season in the second inning. It was a two-run shot to left.
WBU trailed 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth when Nick Noll drew a one-out walk. Pinch runner Calvin Bass advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved to third on a ground out. Sandersius, pinch hitting for Scott Keane, brought Bass home when he drove the first pitch he saw into centerfield.
Both teams went quietly in the seventh to force extra innings. After Limon retired the side in the top of the eighth, WBU came out swinging. Bass lined out on a hard shot to left, Oscar Rivera followed with a single up the middle, and Keane laid down a beautiful bunt and reached first just ahead of the throw. Keane eventually scored the game-winner on Miguel Pagan's two-out base hit.
Hennessey's two-run homer in the second game tied former Pioneer J.J. Peirce's career home run mark of 43, which he set from 1999 through 2001. A senior from Chandler, Ariz., Hennessey broke the single season record last year with 24. Thursday's shot was his 19th this spring.
Sandersius allowed the two Cavalier runs on six hits. The senior southpaw walked just one and evened up his season record at 5-5.
Allen led off the second game with a walk and scored on Ben Christian's triple to the gap in right center. The Cavaliers tied the score in the second, but the Pioneers responded with two in the third on RBIs by Pagan and Aldo Mendez.
After SGU closed the gap to one in the fifth, Hennessey made it 5-2 with one swing of his bat in the WBU half of the inning. Wayland picked up its final run in the sixth when Brian Embery tripled to the wall in right center and scored on Rivera's squeeze bunt.
The doubleheader sweep moved the Pioneers, 24-25 on the season, into sixth place in the Sooner Athletic Conference standings with a league record of 10-15. They are a half game ahead of USAO (10-16) and a full game in front of Mid-America Christian (9-16). WBU and SGU conclude their series on Friday afternoon. Eight Pioneer seniors will be honored in a ceremony before the scheduled first pitch at 1:00.
