Box Score OKLAHOMA CITY –
Caleb Davidson put up four hits,
Jake Doyle hit his third home run in two games, and three Wayland Baptist pitchers struck out 11 as the Pioneers wrapped up the regular season with a 10-3 win over Mid-America Christian University here Sunday afternoon.
The victory gave Wayland (41-14, 16-8 SAC), which won Saturday 8-4 and 9-1, a sweep of the Sooner Athletic Conference series against the Evangels (19-30, 7-17) and pushed the Pioneers into a tie for third place in the league standings with No. 25 Southwestern Christian (39-10, 16-8). Oklahoma City (36-17, 15-8) could join the tie with a win later Sunday over St. Gregory's.
The equivalent of 32
nd in the NAIA, Wayland heads to the SAC Tournament on a high note, having won nine of its last 11, including the final five in a row. The tournament, hosted by OCU, will be held Friday through May 9 and send the winner to the NAIA National Championship Opening Round. If Wayland doesn't win the tournament, the Pioneers – boasting their fifth 40-win season in the 25-year history of the program – figure to have an excellent shot at landing an at-large berth as one of 45 teams in the opening round, to be held May 17-20 at nine sites across the country.
In Sunday's game, which first was delayed 24 hours due to weather and then an extra hour, Wayland struck for four runs in the second inning to establish a nice early lead. Wayland got on the board with an RBI-single by
Ernesto Lizardi before center fielder
Austin Davis slapped a three-run home run to left on the first pitch he saw. It was Davis' 10
th homer of the season.
The Pioneers made it 6-0 in the third when
Brayden Blackwell, after drawing a lead-off walk, scored on an MACU pitcher Junior Obeso's wild throw. Davidson then drove in Doyle, who singled and stole third, with a two-out single to right.
Doyle made it 7-0 in the fifth with his third solo home run in six official at-bats, giving him seven on the season.
WBU starter
Jonathan Frost, meanwhile, gave up his first run after blanking the Evangels the first four innings. Frost (5-1) wound up pitching six complete innings, allowing four hits with six strikeouts and two walks.
Taylor Bridges tossed two innings, allowing two hits, striking out four and walking one, before
Kevin Torres took the mound for the final inning and gave up no hits while striking out and walking one.
Wayland stretch its lead to 9-1 with a pair of runs in the seventh. After Blackwell singled and
Gregg Veneklasen was hit by a pitch, Davidson knocked a two-out, two-RBI single to center for his second and third RBI of the day.
Davidson scored Wayland's final run in the ninth. After a two-out single to right, Davidson scored on Lizardi's single.
The game ended when Wayland turned a 5-4-3 (Veneklasen-to-
Taylor Grady-to Davidson) double-play.
