TUTTLE, Okla. –
Luis Vargas became Wayland Baptist's single-season home run king, powering the Pioneers to a much-needed 1-0 victory in the second game of a scrambled Sooner Athletic Conference doubleheader against Mid-America Christian University here Sunday afternoon. WBU dropped the opener, 3-2 in 11 hard-fought innings.
Game 3 of Wayland's final regular-season series will be played at 1 p.m. Monday on the MACU campus. Sunday's games – already delayed a couple of days due to rain – were played at nearby Tuttle High School because of weather-related issues at MACU's field.
After suffering their 10
th straight conference loss in Sunday's first game, Wayland (23-23, 7-13 SAC) needed something good to happen. It did in the first inning of game two when Vargas blasted his program record-breaking 25th home run.
WBU coach
Brad Bass was excited to see Vargas, who leads the NAIA in homers for the second straight season (he recorded 20 in just 30 games in last year's COVID-abbreviated season), break the mark held by Kevin Hennessey since 2010.
"I was very, very thankful he got that done. We were running out of games, so I was happy to see him get it," Bass said, alluding to WBU's numerous weather- and COVID-cancelled games. "His teammates were really supportive and happy for him.
"Luis has been a blessing to me and our program. Good for him and congratulations."
Bass said Vargas, who was back in centerfield after many games as Wayland's DH following an injury, "got it done on a tough day" as 20-25 mph winds made it difficult for hitters. The Pioneers ended the contest with five hits while the Evangels were limited to just two by Wayland junior pitchers
Kyle Eifert and
Gloymer Cuevas.
Eifert, a lefty, recorded all but two outs. MACU got the winning run on base with one away in the seventh following an error and a walk. Bass then brought in Cuevas, who enticed the only batter he faced into a 6-4-3 (
Gregory Ozuna-
Carlos Collazo-
Dawin Santos) game-ending double-play.
In his 6 1/3 innings, Eifert (3-3) allowed just two hits while striking out five and walking one. It was Cuevas' first save of the season.
That outstanding pitching performance was preceded by another put forth by Game 1 senior starter
Tanner Solomon, who in 10 innings allowed just a pair of runs on five hits while striking out 12 – one off his career-high.
"Tanner pitched possibly the best game of his life. I don't remember a hard-hit ball," Bass said. "They scored a couple of runs but it was really mistakes. He struck out quite a few guys, and I had the feeling he threw every pitch where he wanted."
After 153 pitches, Bass pulled Solomon after the 10
th and brought in
Ty Jackson, who allowed a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11
th to the first batter he faced, MACU clean-up hitter Yan Ely Adames.
A trio of Evangel pitchers combined to strike out 13 with seven walks. Wayland ended with nine hits, three by Vargas and two by
Marco Rivera. The Pioneers scored both of their runs – unearned – in the fourth after MACU plated single runs in the first and third frames.
"I kept thinking we'd have a big inning. We've always had one, but not today," Bass said. "Their pitching was really good."
