Pioneers rally but can't close out Cowboys

Box Score Wayland Baptist came up with a clutch eight-run eighth-inning only to see New Mexico Highlands answer with five runs in the ninth as the Cowboys won a non-conference game Tuesday afternoon at Wilder Field, 16-12.
 
Wayland (19-26) didn't give the hundreds of elementary school students in attendance much to cheer about early as the Pioneers trailed 7-0 after 3½ innings. WBU was down 11-4 going into the bottom of the eighth when the Pioneers – right after Coach Brad Bass made wholesale lineup changes – suddenly came to life.
 
Wayland was about to go quietly with the NCAA Division II Cowboys (14-26) recorded two early outs, allowing only a single to new designated hitter Alex Mumm. But after new centerfielder Dylan Norris walked, the next seven Pioneers recorded hits.
 
The barrage began with a single by new shortstop Nick Moore before second baseman Will Bass delivered a two-RBI double. New left fielder Juan Ponce followed suit with an RBI-double, then new third baseman Michael Carnera kept it going with an RBI-single.
 
Highlands changed pitchers, but that didn't slow down the Pioneers.
 
New catcher Derek Farmer slapped an RBI-single that made it a one-run game, then new right-fielder Nick Rucker, in just the sixth at-bat of the season for the sophomore, hit his first home run, a two-run shot to left that gave Wayland its first lead of the game.
 
Mumm added his second hit of the eight-hit inning before Highlands finally got out of it with a strikeout.
 
The Cowboys seemed unfazed by surrendering the upper hand, however, and answered with their biggest inning of the day against the fifth Wayland pitcher, freshman Collin Isbell (1-3). Highlands proceeded to score five runs on just two hits, a hit-batsman, one error, a sacrifice fly and four walks (two intentional). Caleb Swofford came on and finally stopped the bleeding by recorded the final out on a fly to right.
 
The Pioneers couldn't respond in the bottom of the ninth, getting one runner on.
 
Both teams ended with 15 hits, with Wayland's coming from 13 different players. Only Hector Romero and Mumm had multiple hits while Bass finished with three RBI and Caleb Davidson and Rucker two each.
 
Highlands used seven different pitchers who combined to strike out six Pioneers and walk four. Wayland's six hurlers struck out seven and walked eight.
 
Both teams committed four errors.
 
The Pioneers wrap up the regular-season this weekend by hosting Bacone (5-43, 1-20), the last-place team in the Sooner Athletic Conference. Wayland is 7-14 in the conference and in seventh place, a game ahead of Southwestern Assemblies of God (15-32, 6-15) which ends the season with a three-game road set against No. 1 Oklahoma City (41-8, 18-3).