Box Score FORT WORTH – Wayland Baptist will head into the Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament riding the momentum gained from a convincing 10-3 victory over Texas Wesleyan University.
After dropping a doubleheader Friday, the Pioneers (32-20, 18-9 SAC) closed the regular-season Saturday afternoon with a big win over the Rams (26-24, 15-12), the team right behind them in the SAC standings. Wayland finishes the regular-season in fourth place in the 10-team league, behind No. 1 Oklahoma Baptist, No. 15 Oklahoma City and (RV) Northwood.
On Saturday, senior
Tom Bailey (7-4) was solid in going the distance, giving up seven hits while striking out six and walking just one.
After the Rams plated two in the second, Bailey gave up just one run over the final seven innings.
He got plenty of offensive support as the Pioneers pounded out 11 hits, including four from
Brayden Blackwell. The sophomore second baseman went 4-for-4 with four singles and three RBIs.
Right fielder
Josh Alexander and catcher Jovanny Padilla had two hits and an RBI each and accounted for two runs apiece. Alexander and Padilla provided Wayland with both of its extra-base hits, each getting a double.
After the Rams took a 2-0 lead in the second, Wayland immediately answered with a four-run third and led the rest of the way.
Aaron Vallance started the third with a leadoff walk then moved to third on a balk and a wild pitch.
Mark Davis singled to bring in Vallance, Wayland's first run of the game before Alexander and Padilla hit back-to-back doubles to give the Pioneers a 3-2 lead.
With two outs in the inning, Blackwell added to the Pioneers lead, getting an RBI single to score Padilla from third.
Wayland added two more runs in the fifth for a 6-2 lead, then got three runs in the seventh and one in the eighth to close out the scoring.
A throwing error on
Chris Buitron's sacrifice bunt scored the first run in the fifth, and Blackwell picked up another single to score Buitron, giving WBU a 6-2 lead.
In the seventh,
Dillan Vigil singled to bring in Padilla, and the Texas Wesleyan pitcher threw two wild pitches to score both Blackwell and Vigil. Vigil's run put the Pioneers up 9-3.
Blackwell brought in his third run of the game in the top of the eighth, hitting a sacrifice fly to right field to score Davis from third. The 10-3 lead held up as the Pioneers went on to win their 32
nd game of the year.
The Pioneers will next compete in the SAC Tournament which will be played May 2-5 at host sites OBU and OCU. Wayland finished the regular season in fourth place, its highest finish since finishing third from 2008 to 2010. The Pioneers will likely be paired with OBU, Mid-America Christian and Science and Arts of Oklahoma at the tournament. In order for WBU to advance to the NAIA Opening Round, the Pioneers will need to finish first or second at the SAC tournament or receive an at large bid.
