Box Score VICTORIA – The Wayland Baptist baseball team's first road trip of the season came to a disappointing end here Friday as the Pioneers fell to Houston-Victoria, 4-3 in 10 innings. The game ended on a walk-off balk.
The Pioneers (4-3) – after winning three of four games from Central Baptist (Ark.) in their season-opening series last weekend at Wilder Field – won one of three against the Jaguars (4-3). On Thursday, Wayland dropped the opener, 6-4, before shutting out the Jags in game 2, 7-0.
On Friday, errors again played a big role in the outcome, just as they did in both of Thursday's contests. The Pioneers committed four miscues leading to two unearned runs, including the game-winner for UHV.
The Jaguars scored single runs in the first and third innings before Wayland's bats woke up in the fourth. Two outs after
Devlin Smith led off with an infield single,
Brendon Foust and
Jacob Adams drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. A dropped fly ball in left cleared the bags, accounting for all three of WBU's runs.
WBU threatened to add to its lead with baserunners in its final four at-bats, but the Pioneers wound up stranding all eight, including three in the top of the ninth after having the bases loaded with no one out. The Jaguars escaped the jam with a batter interference call, a fielder's choice play at the plate, and a strikeout.
Houston-Victoria rode that momentum by scoring a single run in the bottom of the ninth to tie it then another in the 10
th to win it.
In the ninth, the Pioneers were one out away from ending it when the Jaguars, after a one-out single, came up with back-to-back singles to knot it up.
Wayland's disappointing 10
th saw a pair of infield pop-outs and a pinch-hit looking-strikeout. The Pioneers then gift-wrapped the game-winning run following a lead-off walk, an infield fielding error and a balk.
WBU recorded seven singles by seven different players.
The Pioneers used five different pitchers, starting with sophomore lefty
Chris Lacher who went 5 2/3 innings, giving up four hits and one earned run while strike out three and walking three.
Deric Trevino,
Kyle Eifert and
Ty Jackson threw about an inning each before freshman lefty
Noah Warren (0-1) finished, taking the loss.
The Jaguars (4-3) opened their season by winning two of three at home over Sterling, Kan., a team Wayland hosts for a pair of doubleheaders later this season.
The Pioneers next host Peru State (Neb.) in doubleheaders starting at Wilder at 2 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday. Peru State will bring a 2-2 record to Plainview after splitting four road games against Avila, Mo., last weekend.
