Jauz's HR helps Pioneers knock off No. 14 TXWES

Cooper Jauz's three-run home run highlighted a five-run first inning that fueled a 9-6 victory for Wayland Baptist over 14^th-ranked Texas Wesleyan in the second game of a Sooner Athletic Conference doubleheader Friday at Wilder Field. The visiting Rams took the first game, 5-2, setting up Saturday's rubber game of the three-game series with a noon start.

Jauz's third home run of the season exacerbated a series of early pitching struggles for the Rams as Wayland took advantage of three hit batsmen, two wild pitches and a walk, all in the first inning. Hayden Ingram's single was the only other Wayland hit in the five-run frame when Caleb Rozier, Delvis Claudio and Samuel Fabian all were plunked by pitches.

The Rams responded with a pair of homers in the second that closed the gap to 5-4, but the Pioneers got those three runs back in the third, again after TXWES miscues that included a lead-off error, two walks, a wild pitch and a balk. Fabian delivered a bases-loaded, RBI-single, Jauz scored on a wild pitch and Justin Porter came up with an RBI-groundout.

Texas Wesleyan again answered with a pair of runs in the fourth, but doubles by Jake Green and Delvis Claudio combined to plate Wayland's last run of the game. It was more than enough as Nathan Baca came on in relief of starter Branin Seibert to pitch four strong innings. After Branin went three innings, giving up five runs on six hits with four strikeouts and two walks, Baca finished it out, allowing just one run on four hits with seven Ks and no walks over the final four innings.

Texas Wesleyan sent five arms to the mound, giving up just six hits but also issuing six walks with three wild throws and a balk.

In the opener, Wayland suffered its season-worst fifth-straight setback as the Rams broke a 1-1 tie with four runs in the fifth. That's when TXWES got four of its nine total hits, three of which produced runs. A Pioneer error on a would-be double-play certainly didn't help as two of the Rams' runs wound up being unearned.  

Wayland was limited to three hits, including Arturo Disla's RBI-single in the first and Claudio's solo homer in the seventh which sent TXWES sophomore starter Sutton Tidwell to the bench after the left-hander struck out four in 6 2/3. David Theriot entered and induced a game-ending line-out to second by pinch hitter Danny Arambula.

Ty Jackson (6-4) took the loss, scattering the nine hits and allowing three earned runs in what was his ninth complete game. The senior walked two and struck out five.