Gallery: (2-5-2021) Baseball vs. Jarvis
Wayland Baptist's bats produced 36 runs and 38 hits, and WBU pitchers recorded 24 strikeouts – half of those by Tanner Solomon – as the Pioneers took both games of a doubleheader against Jarvis Christian on Friday at Wilder Field, 20-1 and 16-8, moving head coach Brad Bass within one win of his 1,000th career victory.
If the Pioneers (4-2) are able to win again as part of Saturday's doubleheader starting at noon at Wilder, Bass will be honored during a short ceremony at the conclusion of the series, likely between 5-6 p.m.
Luis Vargas led Wayland's offense with three home runs as he finished the day with five hits, six runs and nine RBIs. A junior centerfielder, Vargas has picked up where he left off last season, leading the NAIA in home runs, now with seven in six games. The reigning Sooner Athletic Conference Player of the Year ended 2020 with 20 blasts in 30 games.
Vargas had plenty of help Friday, including a six-hit performance by right-fielder Marco Rivera, who went 4-for-5 in the opener, a four-hit, four-run, four-RBI day by left-fielder Jacob Adams, and a five-hit, five-RBI performance by second baseman Carlos Collazo.
Rivera also had one of the top defensive plays of the day for Wayland, hosing a runner at the plate to complete a double-play in the first game. Another defensive gem was turned in by third baseman Tristan Galbreath, who in game 2 made a diving stab to his right then beautifully gunned down the runner at first.
Wayland committed just one error on the day, while Jarvis (1-2) had six, including five in the lopsided opener. The Pioneers gave up their only run of that game in the first as the Bulldogs scored after a walk, stolen base, wild pitch and RBI-single.
Solomon wound up striking out the side in the first, something he also did in the fourth en route to posting a career-high 12 strikeouts. That surpassed a previous best of 10 which the fast-working junior right-hander accomplished once each of the past two seasons.
Along with the dozen Ks, Solomon allowed just one run on four hits with two walks in six innings. Chris Lacher finished it, striking out one more. It's been almost seven years since Pioneer pitchers have struck out more than that in a game, not since Tom Bailey (13) and Corey Weldon (1) combined to mow down 14 Oklahoma City Stars in a 5-4 victory in 2014.
Game 2 pitching Saturday saw Jose Suero (5), Ty Jackson (4) and Gloymer Cuevas (2) join forces for 11 more strikeouts, with Jackson gaining the win. Jarvis did manage seven hits and nine walks, but it wasn't near enough to outgun Wayland's 14 hits, four of which came in the second when the Pioneers scored seven runs.
WBU increased the lead to 11-2 after the third, and although the Bulldogs pulled to within 11-8 after 4½ frames, the Pioneers put it away with a pair of runs in the fifth then Vargas' final homer, a three-run, opposite-field shot to right.
