Box Score
Wayland Baptist erupted for seven runs in the eighth inning and went on to defeat McMurry University on Friday afternoon at Wilder Field, 11-5.
The No. 20 Pioneers (4-4), playing with a bit of a reshuffled line-up, trailed 5-4 going into the bottom of the eighth when they came up with seven of their 13 hits as Wayland snapped a four-game skid by downing the War Hawks in their season-opener.
The teams reconvene Saturday in Abilene for a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m.
Held scoreless until plating three in the bottom of the sixth on
Ernesto Lizardi's three-run homer to left field, Wayland kicked it into high gear in the eighth.
Caleb Davidson and Lizardi greeted McMurry reliever John Eric Cortez with back-to-back, one-out doubles that tied the score at 5. It appeared that may be all the Pioneers got after a pick-off made for the second out, but WBU was just getting started.
After consecutive walks to
Manuel Rios and
Brendan Foust, Tyler Grady knocked in to what amounted to the winning run with a single to center. After Grady stole second, he and Foust both scored on
Hector Romero's single to left.
Romero then stole second and scored on
Austin Davis' double down the left-field line.
Gregg Veneklasen got in on the fun with a two-run homer to left, completing the seven-run explosion.
Kevin Torres took over on the mound for
Collin Isbell and recorded the final three outs on a strikeout and two fly-outs.
Isbell (1-0), a freshman from Idalou, picked up his first collegiate decision, giving up one run on three hits in 1 2/3 after taking over for starter
Matt Flores, who in 6 1/3 innings gave up four runs on five hits. Flores struck out eight and walked two. Both Isbell and Torres recorded a strikeout apiece.
The first three batters in Wayland's order – Romero, Davis and Veneklasen – all ended up with two hits and two RBI while Lizardi kept his bat sizzling by going 2-for-4 with four RBI. Grady also came up with a pair of hits and scored twice, as did Davis, who doubled twice.
Â
