Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 The final two regular-season home games for the Wayland Baptist Pioneers turned out to be wild ones.
The Pioneers and 19th-ranked Texas Wesleyan Rams combined to score 92 runs and pound 90 hits – including 17 home runs – as the teams used 18 different pitchers during a three-game, two-day series at windy Wilder Field. In the end, it was Wayland that held the upper hand.
"It was crazy," Wayland coach Brad Bass said.
After winning Friday 10-5 to snap Wesleyan's 17-game win streak, the Pioneers claimed the postponed second game on Saturday afternoon, 25-23, on senior Matt Flores' three-run, walk-off home run. The Rams, who entered the weekend leading the Sooner Athletic Conference, saved some face by winning the series finale, 25-8.
"If you would have told me beforehand we would win two of three, I would have taken it," Bass said. "That doesn't mean I don't like my team, but with the wind blowing out and starting pitching injured…
"Those wins were huge for us."
The outcomes on Wayland's Senior Day moved the Pioneers (26-17, 13-11 SAC) into a tie for fourth place in the conference standings with Southwestern Christian (28-15, 13-11), which was swept by No. 7 Science and Arts of Oklahoma, now tied for atop the standings with No. 9 Oklahoma City, a game in front of Wesleyan (31-9, 17-4)
While all three weekend games at Wilder had their moments, the hands-down topper was Saturday's opener, in which Wayland earned an improbable win after giving up nine unearned first-inning runs.
"The wind was blowing out and both teams can really hit," Bass said. "We were just trying to get a goose egg every once in a while."
The game started inauspiciously for Wayland when the Rams' leadoff batter struck out but boarded on a throwing error following the dropped third strike. Four hits, four walks and another error later, it was 9-0 Rams.
Unfazed, the Pioneers struck back for six runs in the bottom of the inning on six hits and three walks.
The fun was just beginning.
After back-to-back scoreless innings, the teams found their bats again in the fourth when Wayland plated seven runs – including a bases-loaded triple by Bryan Nunez – to take a 13-11 lead. The Rams came right back with seven of their own in the top of the fifth, although Wayland answered immediately by scoring five in the bottom to tie the score at 18-all.
Wesleyan scored three and Wayland two in the sixth, so after the Rams failed to score in the seventh the Pioneers went to their final at-bat down 21-20.
Nick Rucker opened the inning by being hit by a pitch for the third time that game and fourth time on the weekend. After Brendon Foust singled to center, Flores delivered the game-winning shot, a three-run blast to left field to put an exclamation point on Wayland's incredible rally.
"The guys were just swinging it, trying to figure out how to get back in it," Bass said of his team's comeback, capped by Flores' fourth homer of the season.
The combined 44 runs were the second-most in WBU history, behind only the 47 plated in a 25-22 loss to New Mexico State in 1997. The 25 runs were the most for Wayland since a 27-9 win over University of the Southwest last season.
Bass couldn't say enough about senior pitcher Kevin Torres, who somehow fought through the nightmarish first inning.
"That was about the gutsiest pitching performance I can remember," Bass said. "I didn't want to take him out; I was sitting on my hands. We finally got the third out (in the first inning), then he just pitched. He gave us a chance and we started fighting back.
"I was so proud of Kevin and what he was able to do."
After Torres, performing in front of his family from Miami, Fla., tossed into the fifth inning and after Chris Lacher struggled by giving up five runs and recording just one out, Carlos Dominguez saved the day for Wayland. In pitching the final 2 2/3 innings, the freshman from El Paso allowed three runs on five hits with no walks and three strikeouts in earning the first win of his career.
"Carlos came in and gave us a chance," Bass said.
Torres' effort and the pitching performance of freshman Tanner Solomon who went the distance Friday were key to Wayland's wins, Bass said.
"Tanner was incredible," he said. "That allowed us to have the pitchers to go today."
Both teams ended with 17 hits, including a school-record-tying five for Wesleyan center fielder Kiki Menendez. Leading Wayland's charge was fill-in catcher Derek Farmer, who went 4-for-5 with four RBIs. Brendon Foust, Nunez and Jonathan Ottenwalder had three hits each, with Nunez scoring four runs and driving in four others. Flores finished with a team-high five RBIs, who in addition to his three-run walk-off had a sac fly and walk to score runs.
Saturday's second game was a bit of a downer as Wesleyan prevailed, 25-8.
The Rams scored nine runs in the third inning to take a 14-3 lead. About the only drama after that was Menendez and Wayland's Gregg Veneklasen battling it out for the NAIA home run lead. Menendez, after homering once in the opener, went deep twice in the nightcap, the last time in the top of the seventh before Veneklasen answered in the bottom. The weekend ended with the two sharing the lead with 18 dingers apiece.
Wesleyan's 25 runs were the second-most in school history against Wayland, behind only a 28-1 blowout by New Mexico State in 1998.
Wesleyan pitcher Brad Sugg (9-0), the SAC's ERA leader, went all seven innings, allowing 12 hits with seven strikeouts and two walks. Jonathan Frost (3-2) and fellow senior Caleb Swofford were the first two of five WBU pitchers, who allowed 23 hits.
The Pioneers next play their final non-conference games when they travel to Hawkins on Tuesday to meet Jarvis Christian in a noon doubleheader. WBU swept Jarvis in a doubleheader last month in Plainview, 8-1 and 15-3.
The Pioneers then have the weekend off while picking up three non-conference forfeit wins against St. Gregory's. After that, WBU ends the regular-season April 27 and 28 in Waxahachie against next-to-last Southwestern Assemblies of God University (10-30, 3-18).
The Pioneers will be looking to win out as they position themselves for the eight-team SAC Tournament to be played May 4-7 at OCU and USAO. Rather than relying on an at-large invitation, Wayland likely will need to finish first or second at the conference tournament to earn an automatic berth into the NAIA National Tournament.
Â
