GOODWELL, Okla. – A 16-run third inning and a school-record 11 stolen bases propelled Wayland Baptist to a dominating Sooner Athletic Conference victory here Saturday afternoon.
Arturo Disla got on base three times and drove in five runs, and
Cooper Jauz hit a grand slam – all in the third inning – as the Pioneers soared past Oklahoma-Panhandle State, 20-7.
It marked a season-high seventh straight win for the Pioneers (20-10, 6-3 SAC), who completed their second sweep in three conference series, having won on Friday, 11-5 and 7-3. Wayland also swept Central Christian on the road last weekend in McPherson, Kan. Central Christian and OPSU (7-18-1, 2-7) are at the bottom of the SAC standings, while Wayland is fourth among nine conference teams.
Saturday's game, which was stopped after seven innings on the 10-run rule, featured 11 errors, seven by OPSU (the Aggies ended with 7 runs, 7 hits and 7 errors). Four of those errors came during the third inning when Wayland came up with half of its dozen hits.
The big inning saw 19 at-bats for the Pioneers, three by Disla. The first baseman reached base all three times, first via error followed by a two-RBI single then a three-RBI double. He scored twice.
Jauz made the most of his first home run of the season with his grand slam. Also in the third,
Danny Arambula had a single and a two-RBI triple, and
Justin Porter walked. Like Disla,
Jake Green also recorded three third-inning at-bats, reaching on an error and a two-RBI single before an inning-ending pop-up to center.
Delvis Claudio provided Wayland's lone run in the final four frames with a fourth-inning homer.
It was Wayland's fourth 20-plus run game in its last six outing, the first three coming against Central Christian when the Pioneers put up a program-record 74 runs.
Wayland's 12 steals shattered the previous school record of eight set in 2001 against North Park and matched two years ago against McMurry. Eight different players recorded steals, including two each by
Hayden Ingram, Claudio and Disla.
Six Pioneer pitchers took the mound, all throwing just one inning except starter Tyler Watts who threw two. First reliever
Tyson Potts (2-4) was awarded the win as he and last reliever
Connor Leach both struck out two of the three batters they faced.
Grayson Soukup,
Brooks Browning and
Zachary Raichel also threw, and the six combined to strike out 12 while allowing seven hits, five earned runs and three walks.
The Pioneers now get a 10-day break, next taking the field in Hobbs, N.M., Tuesday, March 28 against University of the Southwest, a team they beat 9-2 on Tuesday at Wilder Field. After that rematch, WBU plays its third straight SAC series against league-leading Southwestern Assemblies of God University (21-7, 7-2) to conclude a run of 10 road games in an 11-game stretch.
