VICTORIA –
Delvis Claudio's two-out, three-run home run in the top of the seventh inning boosted Wayland Baptist to a 10-9 victory over the University of Houston-Victoria in the first game of a doubleheader at Riverside Stadium Saturday afternoon. The Jaguars prevailed in the second game, 9-4.
The split mirrored outcomes in Friday's season-opening doubleheader that saw Wayland win the season debut, 1-0, before falling in game 2, 6-2.
"All four baseball games this weekend were very competitive. We didn't perform like we are capable of performing offensively. We will learn from our mistakes offensively and defensively," Wayland coach
Todd Weldon said. "It was a difficult week leading into the series because we were only able to get on the baseball field one time before getting on the bus to go to Victoria due to all of the snow. We will be better moving forward."
Wayland scored more runs in Saturday's first game than it did in the other three games combined. The Pioneers trailed 8-6 after the Jaguars scored three in the bottom of the sixth, but Wayland wasn't fazed. In the Pioneers' final at-bat,
Matthew Unangst got the rally rolling with a one-out single, then
Carson Parham slapped an RBI-single to plate pinch runner
Cesar Lopez after he went to second on a passed ball.
After
Justin Porter walked to load the bases and get to the top of the order, lead-off-hitting shortstop
Hayden Ingram fouled out for the second out, but Claudio – a first-year sophomore substitute designated hitter from Puerto Rico – lifted a home run to left to give Wayland a two-run lead.
The two-run cushion proved pivotal as the Jaguars' Raul Lopez hit a two-out home run to make it a one-run game. But Pioneer pitcher
Garrett McClain dug deep and struck out No. 2-hole hitter Westley Shields to end the game.
Eight Pioneers provided Wayland's 12 hits, including two each by Claudio, Unangst, Parham and Porter. McClain, the Pioneers' third pitcher, took the win with 1 2/3 innings of work.
In the series finale, the Pioneers took a 2-0 first-inning lead on an RBI-single by Unangst and a bases-loaded walk by catcher
Cesar Pavon. Wayland left three on base, however, and would have liked to take better advantage of a hit-batsman and three walks.
Wayland maintained its 2-0 lead until the fifth when the Jags – limited to two hits through four innings by Pioneer starter
Nathan Baca – broke through thanks mostly to four walks. The Pioneers tied it when Kolich scored on a wild pitch and
Arturo Disla hit sacrifice fly.
But in the bottom of the sixth WBU pitchers again allowed four walks along with three hits, including a three-RBI triple, as the Jags plated six. The Pioneers threatened to rally in the seventh with one-out singles by Claudio and
William Flowers, but the Jags were able to get out of the jam with a pair of flyouts.
The Pioneers ended with seven hits, one more than the home team, but were hurt by 10 walks.
WBU is scheduled to make its home debut at 2 p.m. Thursday against New Mexico Highlands in the first of a four-game series. The teams also are set to play a doubleheader at noon Friday then a single game at noon Saturday.
