WAXAHACHIE – The Wayland Baptist baseball team lost yet a third straight close Sooner Athletic Conference game to Southwestern Assemblies of God University on Saturday afternoon, this time in 11 innings, as the Lions prevailed 3-2.
The loss marked the sixth straight for WBU (16-16, 1-11 SAC), which dropped games on Friday to SAGU (26-7, 11-4), 4-2 and 2-1.
Remarkably, Wayland has held the lead in all of its last six games. On Saturday, the Pioneers were up 2-0 after scoring single runs in the second and third innings. In the second,
Dawin Santos came up with a two-out double before scoring on
Danny Arambula's RBI-single. In the third,
Tyler Latham hit a leadoff double to center then scored on
Arturo Disla's batted ball to second.
The Lions answered with unearned runs in the fourth after two walks, an error and a single, and in the seventh – when WBU left the bases loaded – on a hit batsman and another error.
Both teams had prime opportunities to score in extra innings before SAGU finally did in the 11
th on a lead-off walk, sacrifice bunt and RBI-double to left-center.
The Pioneers with twice as many hits as the Lions, 8-4, and had one fewer error. Latham, Santos and Arambula contributed two hits each.
Five WBU pitchers combined to strike out 13 Lions, including eight by senior starter
Deric Trevino, two off his season-best. Trevino ranks third in the NAIA with 65 strikeouts and ninth in ERA at 3.65.
Jose Suero fanned four and Chris Leach one.
Gloymer Cuevas (1-4) took the loss after entering to start the 11
th.
The Pioneers return home next weekend to host Central Christian (8-23, 2-10) in a doubleheader at 4 p.m. Friday and single game at 1 p.m. Saturday. The Tigers had lost seven straight games before defeating Oklahoma Panhandle State on Friday, 13-9.
