STERLINGTON, La. – Freshman
Tyson Potts struck out 14 and
Jake Green's two-out home run in the sixth provided the game's lone run as Wayland Baptist won its sixth straight game, 1-0 over Benedictine College (Kan.) as part of the Cajun Classic.
The win came less than 24 hours after the Pioneers (8-2) defeated No. 12 MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.), 5-4 in extra innings in their tournament opener Thursday night. Green drove home the tying and winning runs.
Against the Ravens, who were making their season debut, Green's homer was Wayland's lone hit of the game as a pair of Benedictine pitchers combined to strike out 10.
Potts, meanwhile, wound up three strikeouts shy of the Wayland strikeout record in what was his third appearance as a Pioneer. Potts struck out a combined 11 in his first two outings against Houston-Victoria and New Mexico Highlands, and he was even more impressive against Benedictine.
A 6-foot-1, 195-pound right-hander from Prescott, Ariz., Potts allowed just three hits, including a pair of singles to lead off the fifth. But Potts dug in and struck out the side to get out of the jam.
The Ravens' only other hit was a two-out double in the bottom of the seventh, but Potts recorded his final K against Benedictine's No. 7-hole hitter to end the game.
Potts wound up walking two while throwing 110 pitches. It was the second shutout for a WBU pitcher this season after
Ty Jackson threw a six-hitter and struck out seven in a 1-0 season-opening win over Houston-Victoria.
Potts' 14 Ks are three shy of the school record. Marcus Limon sat down 17 – while throwing 171 pitches in 8 2/3 innings – in a 6-1 loss to Oklahoma Baptist at Wilder Field during the 2011 Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament.
Green's home run was his third of the year. It came on the first pitch he saw from Benedictine reliever Lance Bolles, who retired the first five batters he faced – the first three strikeouts – after taking over for starter Andrew Baier to start the fifth.
Green got on base all three times he went to the plate, drawing a walk to open the second inning and getting hit by a pitch to start the fourth.
Wayland is back in action Saturday at the Cajun Collision, first taking on Clarke (Iowa) at 2:30 p.m. then Tabor (Kan.) at 6. Clark lost two of three against No. 11 Oklahoma City to open the season before beating Texas Wesleyan, 12-1. The Lions play Southwestern Christian in their first game here Friday evening. Tabor was unbeaten at 5-0 – three wins over Jarvis Christian and one each over Williams Baptist (Ark.) and Baptist Bible College (Mo.) – prior to taking on No. 14 Central Methodist (Mo.), No. 12 MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) and MidAmerica Christian (Okla.) in the Cajun Collision.
