BIG SPRING – Wayland Baptist played its first extra-inning softball game here Friday afternoon, falling to Howard College, 10-9, in nine innings.
"We lost a heartbreaker in extra innings," WBU coach Enrique Villa said. "It was a great game."
The Pioneers (2-3) trailed 5-3 going into their last at-bat, but managed to score three runs to go up 6-5. But Howard College (6-11) pushed a run across in the bottom of the seventh knot the score and force extra innings, when teams start each at-bat with a runner on second.
In the first extra frame, each team scored one run, then Wayland put up a pair in the top of the ninth. The Lady Hawks then scored three in the bottom to win it, 10-9.
"Our team showed heart, passion and fight. Unfortunately, Howard was a little better today," Villa said.
Freshman
Mikayla Carrillo hit her second homer of the season, and freshman
Madison Martinez her first as they went back-to-back in a three-run first. Wayland ended with 11 hits, including two for Maddy Martinez, Carrillo,
Reagan Davis and
Cloe DeLeon.
Abbey Soto drew three of Wayland's five walks.
On the mound,
Clarissa Rejino went eight innings, tossing 131 pitches and giving up six runs on a dozen hits with four strikeouts and a walk, before
Faith Castillo took over in the ninth, surrendering two runs on a hit and a walk.
"We hit the ball well and pitched well enough to win but made some mistakes on the field as well as on the bases that hurt us," Villa said. "We are playing well and getting better. I am very proud of this team."
The teams square off again at noon Saturday.
(Wayland is playing an exhibition schedule in 2023 before competing as a Sooner Athletic Conference team with a countable schedule in 2024).
