WAXAHACHIE – Wayland Baptist battled back from an early six-run deficit then held off a ninth-inning rally to secure a 10-8 win over error-prone Southwestern Assemblies of God University here Saturday afternoon.
The victory gave Wayland the Sooner Athletic Conference-series opening win after the teams split Friday's doubleheader. SAGU took the opener, 5-4, before the Pioneers dominated in game 2, 12-2.
On Saturday, the Pioneers (18-7, 2-1 SAC) found themselves in a big hole after a five-run second helped the Lions take a 6-0 lead.
Wayland started scoring in the fifth, getting a couple of runs on two hits and an error. The Pioneers took the lead in the next inning, scoring five runs on five hits and a pair of SAGU miscues.
WBU tacked on two more runs in the eighth, on three hits and another SAGU error, then got another during a two-hit ninth to assume a 10-6 lead.
After being held scoreless for six innings, the Lions made some noise in the bottom of the ninth. After an error on a second strikeout prolonged the inning, the Lions pushed one run across on an RBI-single then got another via another single. The tying run came to the plate in the form of Justin De Los Santos, who flew out to center to end the game.
The Pioneers ended with 11 hits – two each by
Gregory Ozuna,
Marco Rivera and
Jake Green – and benefited from eight SAGU errors.
Luis Vargas homered for the second straight game, giving him four over the past six outings and an NAIA-best 15 on the season. Rivera and
Brendon Foust posted two RBI, while
Austin Moya, Vargas,
Ramon Cruz and
Tristan Galbreath all scored twice.
On the mound, after WBU starter
Jose Suero struggled,
Deric Trevino entered in the second inning and went the rest of the way, allowing just two runs (one earned) on eight hits with eight strikeouts and only one walk.
Trevino improved his record to 3-0.
The Pioneers return to the road Tuesday to take on McMurry (3-9-1) in a single game beginning at 4 p.m. in Abilene. Wayland then returns home next weekend for another SAC series against Central Christian (7-12, 0-2), which dropped its first two league games to Oklahoma-Panhandle State on Saturday, 7-0 and 12-9. The Eagles and Aggies play game 3 Sunday.
The series with CCC is set to be a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m. Friday following by a single game at noon Saturday.
