Box Score The Pioneers dropped their third and final game of the series to conference foe Rogers State on Saturday by a score of 9-6 in 11 innings.
Senior Kevin Burbank received the start for the home team and was able to survive the #19 Hillcats' offensive threat in the first inning, allowing only one run to cross the plate. Burbank settled in after that, allowing only two more earned runs over the next 5.1 innings.
Burbank struck out four while allowing seven hits before turning it over to the bullpen.
Hillcat starter Shawn Spainhoward carried a perfect game into the 8th inning, when the Pioneers were finally able to do some damage.
With Wayland trailing 5-0, sophomore Brian Allen came in to pinch hit and lined a pitch past a diving Hector Rivera at second base to become the first Pioneer to reach base on the afternoon. Brandon Barcalow then entered the batter's box and didn't waste any time, lacing the first pitch through the left side to provide some life in the home dugout.
Catcher Oscar Rivera followed the pair of hits with a 4-pitch walk, and Chris Buitron, starting at short in place of the injured Bernie Rosario, put the Pioneers on the board with a 2-RBI single down the right field line. Junior Ben Christian kept the big inning alive with an RBI double to put runners on second and third with still no outs.
Spainhoward took a seat in the visitor's dugout, and his replacement, Drew Taylor, hit second baseman Calvin Bass with the pitch to load the bases for leadoff man Dilon Chancellor. A passed ball allowed all three runners to advance, and Buitron crossed home plate to make it a one-run ballgame.
Chancellor drove in Christian on an RBI groundout to tie the score at 5.
The game remained scoreless until the 11th when the Hillcats plated four runs in the top half of the inning.
The Pioneers got one back in their half when Allen lead-off with a double and later scored on a two-out error.
RSU sophomore pitcher Mason Marquette pitched the final 2-1/3 innings to pick up his first victory of the season. Pioneer freshman Paxton Bartley, who gave up three runs on four hits and struck out three in his three innings of work, got the loss, his third of the season.
The Pioneers look to rebound on Tuesday, as they travel to Canyon to take on West Texas A&M. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 pm.
Jordan Herrod
WBU Sports Information Student Assistant
