VICTORIA, Texas – Errors played a big role for both Wayland Baptist and Houston-Victoria as the Pioneers and Jaguars split a doubleheader here Thursday. Wayland committed four costly miscues in game one and fell when the Jags scored four runs in their last at-bat and win, 6-4. Then in game two the Pioneers took advantage of four UHV miscues and shut out the home team, 7-0.
The teams play the third and final game of the series starting at noon Friday.
In Friday's second game, sophomore
Tanner Solomon and freshman
Cesar Paz combined to pitch Wayland's first shutout of the season, allowing six hits while striking out three and walking only one. Solomon lasted 5 1/3 innings and Paz the final 1 2/3, surrendering not hits.
Gregory Ozuna,
Dawin Santos,
Brendon Foust,
Jake Green and
Dalton Westbrook came up with singles, while Santos and
Bryan Nunez tallied RBIs. Foust and
Preston Rackley scored two runs each.
Three of Wayland's seven runs were earned.
In the first game, Wayland scored four runs in the top of the fifth to lead 4-2, but the Cougars came back with four of their own in the bottom of the sixth and wound up with the 6-4 win.
The Pioneers' big fifth started with a lead-off double by catcher
Jonathan Ottenwalder,
Devlin Smith bunted for a base hit, then
Yaniel Vargas' groundout allowed Ottenwalder to score. After
Austin Moya walked, Ozuna's single to shallow left loaded the bases.
Santos drew a bases-loaded walk, scoring Smith, before Foust's clutch double to deep right drove in both Moya and Ozuna.
The Cougars gained their four-run revenge in the sixth on the strength of just two hits but three Wayland errors.
The Pioneers struck out three times in the seventh, although Santos boarded on a dropped third strike, before Foust lined out to the shortstop to end the game.
Wayland ended with seven hits – two each by Ozuna and Foust – but was undone by four errors. Junior starter
Andrew Manier, in 5 1/3 innings, surrendered four hits and five runs, although only two were earned. He struck out two and walked two.
Bryson Calaway got the final two outs.
