Pioneers drop 6-5 decision to West Texas A&M

Box Score Looking to gain momentum heading into its regular-season ending series this weekend, the Wayland Baptist baseball team got three more hits than West Texas A&M but dropped the non-conference contest to the Buffaloes on Tuesday afternoon at Wilder Field, 6-5.

The loss drops Wayland to 30-20 as the Pioneers (11-7 Sooner Athletic Conference prepare to host Texas Wesleyan (19-24, 11-9) in a doubleheader starting at 3 p.m. Friday followed by a single game at 1 p.m. Saturday. The Pioneers are in fourth place in the SAC standings, a game ahead of the Rams and a game behind USAO (31-14, 13-7), which closes the regular season against Southwestern Christian.
 
The teams are vying for seeds for the SAC Tournament, to be played May 1-4 in Oklahoma City.
 
Against WT (29-15), the Pioneers gave up three runs in the second inning before tying the game after five. The Buffs scored twice in the seventh and once in the eighth to take a 6-3 lead, but the Pioneers weren't through.
 
Gaby De La Cruz got things going with his third hit of the game on a hit that the Buffalo right-fielder never saw and resulted in a double. Pinch-hitter Brayden Blackwell then got on base via an error on a ball that momentarily was caught by the WT left-fielder before falling out of his glove.
 
Ethan Percell then singled for his third hit of the game, and when the WT right-fielder muffed the ball, De La Cruz scored. Chris Buitron's bunt resulted in Blackwell being thrown out at third for the first out, then Austin Davis singled through the left-side to score Percell.
 
After WT closer Paul Lujan entered the game, the Buffs turned a double play when Colton Palmer lined out to the third baseman who then threw to second to retire pinch runner Josh Vera, leaving the Pioneers one run short.
 
Both teams went 3-up, 3-down in the ninth as Lujan recorded his 10^th save of the season.
 
WTAMU now leads the all-time series with Wayland, 28-34.
 
Percell and De La Cruz provided six of Wayland's 10 hits. One by De La Cruz was an RBI-single that followed a lead-off double by Aaron Vallance in the fourth. Buitron also singled in that frame to score De La Cruz.
 
Wayland's other run, in the fifth, came on another RBI-single by De La Cruz that scored Will Bass.
 
Kyle Parriera (1-1) took the loss, giving two hits and a run in two innings of relief for starter Joey DiCarlo, who lasted four innings and allowed three runs on two hits with three walks and a strikeout in four innings. Michael Cowan struck out three while giving up three hits and a pair of runs in 1 2/3, while Logan Evans threw up all zeros in 1 1/3.
 
WT was led offensively by left-fielder Josh Day, who had three of his team's seven hits, including a solo home run. First baseman Dylan Dyson had two hits while designated hitter Aaron De La Paz knocked a two-run home run as part WT's three-run second.