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Box Score 2 BETHANY, Okla. – Wayland Baptist ran its winning streak to nine, winning the first game of a Sooner Athletic Conference doubleheader over Southwestern Christian, 4-3, before the Eagles prevailed in game two here Friday afternoon, 3-0.
The teams will determine a series winner when they take the field for game 3 at noon Saturday.
In other baseball news, Wayland's game on Tuesday at West Texas A&M has been cancelled due to the Buffaloes having too many scheduled games. However, Wayland picked up a three-game series at home against Midland, (Neb.). The teams will play a single game at 6 p.m. Monday before a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. Tuesday.
On Friday, the Pioneers (15-9, 4-1 SAC) scored runs in the first three innings of the day, then were blanked over the next 11.
Will Bass led off the afternoon with a double, went to third on a single by
Josh Alexander, and scored on
Gaby De La Cruz's single to right.
Another double to open an inning, this one by
Austin Davis in the second, led to another run after
Dillan Vigil singled and
Brayden Blackwell grounded into a double-play.
Inning three saw the Pioneers put up two more runs, and they needed them both.
Aaron Vallance scored the first after he walked, Alexander doubled, and De La Cruz grounded out. Alexander went on to steal third then scored on Ernesto Lizard's groundout.
With Wayland up 4-0, Southwestern Christian (11-9, 2-5) cut the deficit in half with a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the third before pulling to within one with a run in the sixth, again thanks in part to a Pioneer error.
After Wayland was unable to add to its lead in the top of the seventh, Pioneer starter
Tyler Adams and closer
Michael Cowan were able to close the door. Adams got Southwestern Christian pinch hitter J.J. Whitney to strike out looking before a ground-out to second. After Adams walked the next Eagle, Cowan came in and forced a pop-out to Vallance at short to end it for his third save of the season.
In his 6 2/3 innings, Adams (5-0) allowed six hits and one earned run while striking out three and walking one.
Wayland ended with seven hits, two each by Alexander and Davis.
Taylor Bridges took the mound for Wayland in game two and also had an effective start, but got no run support as Wayland suffered its first shutout of the season. The Pioneers were limited to just three hits, a double by Bass and singles by Vallance and Alexander.
The Eagles, meanwhile, managed to get three runs (two earned) across on four hits off of Bridges (3-3), who struck out three and issued two walks in 5 1/3. With Southwestern Christian clinging to a 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth,
Logan Evans took over for Bridges with one out and – after a single, walk, and an intentional walk – the bases loaded. The Eagles got two runs home on a sacrifice fly and a throwing error.
Those last two runs didn't matter, though, since the Pioneers were unable to rally in the seventh, although they gave it a good run.
Vallance and Alexander led off with singles. A fielder's choice retired Vallance before a walk by Lizardi loaded the bases with just one away.
Ethan Percell's grounder to short resulted in Alexander being thrown out at home before Davis struck out swinging to end it.
