Bartley, top-of-order boost Pioneers past No. 6 LCU

Box Score Wayland Baptist scored five runs in the fifth and went on to defeat NCAA Division II's sixth-ranked Lubbock Christian Chaparrals on Monday night at Wilder Field, 8-5.
 
In a game that was moved due to forecasted wet weather Tuesday, Paxton Bartley pitched six strong innings and the top of the Pioneers' order shined as Wayland (21-4) – ranked the equivalent of 40^th in the NAIA but hoping to move up when the first Top 25 poll of the regular season is released March 15 – won its sixth in a row and prevailed for the 16^th time in 17 outings. LCU fell to 13-4.
 
With the score tied at 2, the Pioneers blew it open by scoring five runs in the fifth when LCU committed two of its four errors. Leading off the inning with the top of the order, Will Bass singled up the middle before Aaron Vallance added a bunt single. An error by LCU pitcher Alberto Aveytia on Gregg Veneklasen's batted ball loaded the bases for Jake Doyle, whose single to right field scored two.
 
Alex Mumm followed with another single through the right side that plated two more and sent Aveytia (1-3) to the showers. A wild pitch by Ricky Contreras allowed Mumm to score the fifth run, all with no outs, before the Chaps retired the next three batters.
 
Bartley pitched his final inning in the sixth, having allowed just one hit and two runs (one earned) with six strikeouts and four walks. Bartley (1-0) picked up his first win in more than a year after sitting out last season with injury.
 
The Chaparrals made things interesting when Dillon Drury hit a solo home run in the seventh, a run the Pioneers got back in the eighth thanks to LCU's other two errors, before the Chaps rallied in the ninth.
 
Logan Evans, who struck out the side in the eighth, got in a bit of a jam after two quick outs. A pair of singles followed by a two-RBI double by lead-off hitter Jaime Bustamante pulled LCU to within three. Kevin Torres then took over on the mound and ended the game by striking out Brett Wilhelm to earn his first save of the season.
 
The Pioneers recorded a dozen hits, nine by the first four hitters in Wayland's order. Veneklasen contributed three while Bass, Vallance and Doyle had two apiece. 
 
The game marked the 103^rd all-time meeting between the teams. LCU leds the series 78-25.
 
The Pioneers and Chaps meet again March 22 in Plainview before playing a third game April 26 in Lubbock.