Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 SHAWNEE, Okla. – Gaby De La Cruz and
Gregg Veneklasen both homered as Wayland Baptist scored five runs in the top of the seventh inning to break a tie and defeat St. Gregory's University, 13-8, in the second game of a Sooner Athletic Conference doubleheader here Friday afternoon. The Pioneers fell in the first game, 7-0.
Wayland (14-17, 2-6 SAC) and St. Greg's (20-9, 9-2), which stands second in the conference standings, will play the rubber game starting at noon Saturday.
After absorbing its fifth straight loss in the opener, Wayland came through big time in Friday's second game, but St. Greg's made the Pioneers work for it.
Wayland owned a 5-0 lead after three innings before the Cavaliers scored seven in the bottom of the fifth. The Pioneers regained the lead with a three-run sixth, only to see SGU tie it back up with a run in the bottom of the inning.
After the Cavaliers' brought in relief pitcher Clay Doyle, Wayland senior Gaby De La Cruz started off the seventh on the right foot for the Pioneers with a pinch-hit home run, his fourth of the season and first in five weeks. Another pinch-hitter,
Derek Farmer, kept it rolling with a double, bringing up the top of Wayland's order.
Will Bass matched Farmer's double before Hector Romero delivered an RBI-single to make it 10-8.
The crushing blow followed: a three-run homer to center by Veneklasen. It was Veneklasen's team-leading 11
th home run and tied him for ninth in the NAIA.
The Pioneers got their sixth straight hit, a single by catcher Ernesto Lizardi, his fourth hit of the game, but didn't score again.
No matter as
Kevin Torres – who took over pitching duties in the sixth after having finished up the opener with 1 1/3 innings – closed out the win by striking out the side, improving his record to 3-1.
The Pioneers' 13 runs and 17 hits were their most since the opening weekend of the season when Wayland pumped out 24 and 18 hits in defeating University of the Southwest, 24-2 and 27-9.
The loss snapped St. Greg's five-game win streak and was the Cavaliers' second loss in their last 15 games.
Lizardi ended 4-for-5 to improve his batting average to .475, ninth in the NAIA.
Veneklasen was 3-for-4 with a walk, five RBI and four runs scored. He was a single short of hitting for the cycle.
Bass, Romero and Manuel Rios added two hits apiece, and Rios and designated hitter
Paxton Covel had two RBI each.
Broedy Burris started for Wayland and went 3 2/3 innings, giving up seven runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and a pair of walks.
Nicholas Moore and
Bryson Calaway recorded two outs each, avoiding any runs despite a hit and four walks. A pickoff at third by catcher Lizardi with the bases loaded helped got the Pioneers out of a jam in the fifth.
Torres gave up a full-count home run on the first batter he faced to start the sixth, but settled in nicely after that. The Pioneer defense helped him out with an inning-ending double-play by shortstop Bass to first baseman Caleb Davidson in the sixth.
The first game saw St. Greg's make the most of seven hits and three walks against WBU starter
Matt Flores (3-4) and Torres. The Cavaliers' Mychal Yarbor (6-1) pitched a five-hitter, striking out eight and walking one.
Five different players accounted for Wayland's five hits, including doubles by Bass, Davidson and DeLaCruz. The Pioneers stranded seven runners.
