SW Christian takes two entertaining games from Pioneers

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Southwestern Christian posted a pair of four-run innings in each game that proved to be the difference as the Eagles swept a Sooner Athletic Conference doubleheader from Wayland Baptist on Friday at Wilder Field, 7-5 and 4-3.
 
In the opener, Wayland led 4-0 after four innings, then Southwestern Christian scored twice in the fifth and four pivotal runs in the sixth to take a 7-5 win.
 
In the nightcap, the Eagles scored all four of their runs in the first inning then held off Wayland the rest of the way, including turning a bases-loaded, game-ending double-play to prevail, 4-3.
 
The teams meet for Game 3 at 1 p.m. Saturday back at Wilder Field.
 
Wayland (21-6 overall, 3-2 SAC) entered the game at the top of the conference standings and on a six-game win streak, while the Eagles (17-3, 4-1) were determined to knock off one of the league front-runners.
 
The Pioneers took control in their first at-bat of the day with a lead-off single by Will Bass followed by a double by Aaron Vallance. Jake Doyle hit an RBI-groundout, Alex Mumm delivered an RBI-single up the middle, then Ernesto Lizardo came through with an RBI-double.
 
Braydon Blackwell's third home run of the season made it 4-0 in the fourth before the Eagles – held hitless by WBU starter Jordie Henry through four – finally got something cooking in the fifth. It started with a tough error by the Pioneers in left field, which led to SCU's first run after a fly-out and groundout. After the Eagles' first hit of the day by A.J. Leingang then a wild pitch, Wayland's lead was cut in half on an RBI-single by Zach Graham that plated a second unearned run.
 
SCU kept it going in the fifth, in part due to more WBU miscues in the field. After the lead-off batter reached on an error, Michael Lowe slapped a two-run home run to right field that tied it. The next batter, Drew Umbro, also homered to left-center to put the Eagles on top.

After the next batter singled, Henry's day was done and Paxton Bartley, who got the win against No. 6 Lubbock Christian on Monday, took over. A hit-batsman, sacrifice bunt and one-out intentional walk loaded the bases, then Graham came through with an RBI-single to center to make it 6-4. Wayland finally got out of the inning when Bartley snagged a line-drive back to the mound and doubled up the runner at third.
 
The Pioneers got one run back in the bottom of the sixth when Alex Mumm doubled down the right-field line, sending SCU starter Thomas Solowynsky to the showers. Blackwell's sacrifice fly got the Pioneers to within 6-5, but they couldn't manufacture another run.
 
After Southwestern Christian added an insurance run in the seventh behind three singles, the Eagles brought in closer Jacob Spencer to face the top of the Wayland batting order. After Bass grounded out to second, and Vallance struck out swinging, Gregg Veneklasen kept Wayland alive with a single, but the game ended when Jake Doyle grounded out to second.
 
Henry (4-1) suffered his first loss of the season, giving up five hits and six runs (three earned) with one walk. Bartley allowed four more hits and another walk. Kevin Torres recorded SCU's final out on the lone strikeout of the day for Wayland pitchers.
 
Despite giving up 11 of Wayland's 12 hits and all five earned runs, Solowynsky (6-0) remained unbeaten. Spencer picked up his second save.
 
Taylor Bridges started game two for Wayland and got into trouble early, allowing a one-out double, followed by a walk and three consecutive singles that made it 2-0. A sacrifice fly took it to 3-0 then a fourth single gave the Eagles a 4-0 lead.
 
Bridges (5-2) settled down after that, giving up just three more hits over the next 5 1/3 scoreless innings as he struck out six and walked only one. Tyler Adams recorded the final two outs.
 
Meanwhile, the Pioneers were confident they could score enough runs to make up for the slow start. They got two in the second when Doyle singled, Mumm doubled and Blackwell singled down the right-field line to score Doyle and Mumm.
 
The score stayed 4-2 until the sixth when the Pioneers pulled another run closer on an RBI-groundout by Blackwell that plated Mumm, who singled and advanced to third on an error.
 
Wayland made some noise in its final at-bat when Bass led off with a single and Vallance was hit by a pitch, granted his base after showing the umpire the mark under his batting glove. Veneklasen's sacrifice bunt advanced the runners, prompting the Eagles to intentionally walk Doyle to load the bases and induce a double-play.
 
The strategy worked as Mumm's shot up the middle was expertly turned into a 6-4-3 game-ender.