WAXAHACHIE – Wayland Baptist barely dropped its Sooner Athletic Conference opener here Friday afternoon to Southwestern Assemblies of God, 5-4, before coming back in a big way to take game two, 12-2.
In the second game, the Pioneers (17-7, 1-1 SAC) logged runs in six of the seven innings and junior
Tanner Solomon tossed a six-hitter. In improving to 5-1, Solomon, who threw 111 pitches, struck out six and walked four in his first complete game of the season, the second for Wayland.
Wayland ended with 11 hits, three by right-fielder
Jacob Adams who had a single, double and triple plus scored three runs and drove in one.
Marco Rivera and
Brendon Foust contributed two hits each while
Derek Farmer and
Gregory Ozuna produced a pair of RBIs apiece.
Luis Vargas and
Dawin Santos both hit solo home runs, the NAIA-leading 14
th for Vargas and the ninth for Santos, who ranks sixth in the NAIA.
SAGU (16-6, 1-1) committed six errors, making for four unearned WBU runs.
The Lions committed a pair of errors in the first game, when the Pioneers were flawless in the field, but SAGU still pulled out the one-run win despite a late Wayland rally and a play at the plate that denied the Pioneers the tying run.
The Lions took a 3-0 lead after the first inning, when they got three of their seven hits, and led 5-0 going into the fifth when the Pioneers rallied for four runs on three hits and two SAGU errors.
After Wayland's first run scored on a bobbled ball, Rivera had an RBI-single and Foust a two-RBI double that made it 5-4. Santos was hit by a pitch then Adams singled to right. Foust was tagged out at the plate to prevent the tying run.
The Pioneers left a runner on in the sixth and were threatening again in the seventh when Rivera and Foust drew one-out walks. But the Lions turned a 4-6-3 double-play to end the game.
L.J. Diaz (2-1) took the loss, giving up five runs (three earned) on five hits while striking out five and walking three in four innings.
Irving Munoz pitched two innings of two-hit relief.
SAGU's Ben Bills and Logan Mann combined to allow six hits, strike out seven and walk three.
The Pioneers and Lions square off in the final game of the series at noon Saturday.
