Box Score The Pioneer baseball team was in the game against West Texas A&M University until a nightmare seventh inning on Tuesday night at Wilder Field. Two errors resulted in seven unearned runs in the inning, helping the Buffs to an 11-4 victory.
The scoring started early for the visitors, who plated a run in each of the first two innings. Wayland starting pitcher Caden Whitley was able to settle down after that, allowing only one more run, which was unearned, over the next 4.2 innings. When he left in the seventh, the freshman from Lubbock's line read two earned runs on nine hits with just one walk and three strikeouts.
WBU's Calvin Bass led the bottom of the third off with a single. Freshman Colton Palmer followed by executing the hit and run to perfection, advancing Bass to third on his hit to rightfield. Another freshman, Dilon Chancellor, scored Bass on another hit and run and moved Palmer to third. After a passed ball allowed both runners to advance, the scoreboard read 2-2.
The Buffaloes regained the lead in the fifth when a dropped fly ball in the Pioneer outfield with two outs allowed courtesy runner John Gebhard to score from second.
After giving away seven runs in the top of the seventh to make it 10-2, Wayland got two back in its half of the inning. Bass led off with his third base hit of the game, moved to third on Johnny Hendrixson's double to left, and scored on Chancellor's RBI groundout. Hendrixson came home two batters later on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Josh Chinni.
Carlos Abreau threw the final 2-1/3 innings for WBU, allowing one run on one hit, a home run by WTA&MU's Nick Marquez.
The Buffaloes finished with 13 hits in the contest, including the homer and four doubles. Five pitchers combined to give up the four runs on nine WBU hits. Irving Camacho got the win in relief, allowing one earned run on five hits and three strikeouts in his two innings of work.
The Pioneers return to conference action on Friday, when they play host to the Evangels of Mid-America Christian University. First pitch is slated for 4:00 pm at Wilder Field.
by Jordan Herrod
WBU Sports Information Student Assistant
