Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Wayland Baptist scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning – the last on a walk-off single by
Ethan Percell – as the Pioneers posted a 10-9 victory over McMurry on Saturday afternoon at Wilder Field to reach the 30-win plateau. Wayland dropped Saturday's opening game, 5-2.
The Pioneers, who posted a pair of wins on Friday over the War Hawks, 5-4 and 10-1, improved to 30-19, marking the 11
th time in school history to reach 30 wins. All but one of those times have been under head coach
Brad Bass, now in his 20
th year with the Pioneers.
It seemed unlikely that the Pioneers would reach 30 wins Saturday. Actually, it seemed very likely early when Wayland jumped out to a 7-1 lead on the strength of a second-inning grand slam by
Will Bass. But the War Hawks (27-8) slowly fought their way back into it, scoring two runs in the fourth, three in the sixth and one in the seventh before putting up a pair in the eighth to assume a 9-7 lead.
Wayland's comeback hopes were beginning to dim when Bass struck out for what would have been the second out of the ninth, but a wild pitch on strike three allowed him on board. Things only got better for Wayland from there, and much worse for McMurry.
After
Aaron Vallance singled through the left side,
Austin Davis reached on an error by the War Hawk shortstop that allowed Bass to score. The ball wound up in center field where a throwing error finished Vallance's trip around the bases and tied it at 9-9.
Following an intentional walk to clean-up hitter
Gaby De La Cruz,
Kyle Herrington, already with three hits in the game, couldn't get a fourth as he flied out to center. Percell, a junior left-fielder from Phoenix, delivered for the Pioneers, however, as his single to left field scored Davis with the winning run.
Reliever
Logan Evans was the beneficiary of the comeback as he remained perfect at 6-0. Evans entered the game to start the ninth in relief of
Michael Cowan, who gave up five hits and three runs in three innings after starter
Craig Cook lasted five innings, allowing seven hits and six runs.
While the War Hawks were hurt by four errors, the Pioneers were error-free during a stellar defensive game that saw a number of nice plays, including a diving stab and rocket throw to first by
Chris Buitron as he made a rare appearance at third base.
Besides Herrington with three, other Pioneers with multi-hit performances as part of WBU's 13-hit attack were Vallance, Percell and relief catcher
Skyler Wood, all with two hits each. Herrington, Percell and Wood all were credited with an RBI.
It was McMurry that posted the come-from-behind win and Wayland that was hurt by errors in game one Saturday.
After falling behind 1-0 in the first inning, Wayland mustered two runs in the fourth on two-out RBI-singles by
Ernesto Lizardi and Davis on either side of a single by Percell.
The Pioneers didn't own the lead for long, though, as McMurry in its next at-bat took advantage of a couple of WBU errors by putting up four runs on three hits, including a three-run homer by Patrick Adams followed immediately by a solo shot from Zack Hagan.
Wayland couldn't generate any more offense in the final three innings as McMurry starter Ben Bates (8-1) held steady, striking out seven and walking none in his nine-hit, seven-inning complete game. Bass got three of those nine hits while Vallance wound up with two.
Josh Alexander (2-2) took the loss as he issued six hits and all five runs (four earned) in 4 1/3.
Kyle Parriera recorded a pair of outs before
Joey DiCarlo pitched the final two frames.
Wayland plays its final non-conference game of the season at noon Tuesday as the Pioneers host West Texas A&M. WBU wraps up the regular season next weekend in a three-game home series against Texas Wesleyan (19-24, 11-9 SAC).
The Pioneers dropped into fourth place in the conference standings, a game behind Science and Arts of Oklahoma (31-14, 13-7) after the Drovers swept a three-game series with St. Gregory's. Texas Wesleyan, after taking 2-of-3 from Southwestern Christian this weekend, is a game behind Wayland in fifth.
