They didn't exactly light up their fancy new scoreboard, but the Wayland Baptist Pioneers did manage to come away with a clutch win in the nightcap of their season-opening doubleheader against Central Baptist (Ark.) Friday at Wilder Field.
After Delbert and Marc McDougal of scoreboard sponsor McDougal Properties threw out the ceremonial first pitches to the 2019 campaign, the Pioneers split their double-dip with the Mustangs, giving up four runs in the top of the seventh inning to drop game one, 6-4, before a redemptive 3-1 victory in the second game.
The teams will play two more beginning at noon Saturday.
In Friday's second game, Wayland picked up runs in each of the third, fourth and sixth innings, on RBI-singles by
Devlin Smith and
Gregory Ozuna before an RBI-double by
Jacob Adams.
Central threatened in its final two at-bats. In the sixth, the Mustangs opened with a single and double, but freshman pitcher
Ty Jackson enticed CBC's No. 4- and 5-hole hitters into infield pop-ups before reliever
Kyle Eifert got the third out with a fly to center.
In the seventh, the Mustangs again got their first two hitters on base with a walk and single. Eifert then recorded a strikeout, RBI-groundout and finally a swinging K to end it.
Starter
Andrew Manier, a junior transfer from Michigan, earned the win, pitching four scoreless innings while giving up three hits and fanning five. Eifert was credited with the save.
Both teams ended with seven hits, with Adams and Ozuna providing two apiece for the Pioneers.
In the opener, Wayland kicked things off in style by putting up three first-inning runs. Senior shortstop
Yaniel Vargas walked to lead its off, then
Austin Moya was hit by a pitch. One out later, a single by
Dawin Santos aided the first run of the season when a bobble by the CBC left-fielder allowed Vargas to score. Designated hitter
Brendon Foust then delivered a two-RBI single to center for a 3-0 Wayland advantage.
The Mustangs put up two runs with two out during a two-hit, one-error third, then Wayland got one of those back in the fourth when Smith's double down the left-field line scored catcher
Jonathan Ottenwalder, who opened with a single.
Central Baptist put up the day's biggest inning with a four-run seventh. It started with a double and RBI-single off freshman
Noah Warren, who relieved sophomore
Tanner Solomon after five solid innings. Sophomore
Deric Trevino came in and walked his first batter, then a bunt-single loaded the bases.
Nine-hole hitter Jamal Washington came up with a two-RBI single up the middle that gave the Mustangs a 5-4 lead, then, after a wild pitcher, a sacrifice-fly brought in another run.
In its final at-bat, Wayland managed to put a runner on base when Vargas was hit by a pitch, but the Pioneers couldn't do anything else.
Smith wound up with two of the Pioneers' five hits.
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