Jake Green set a school record by going 7-for-7, helping Wayland Baptist outlast Southwestern Christian in the opener of a key regular-season ending Sooner Athletic Conference series on Friday at Wilder Field.
The Pioneers (26-19, 11-11 SAC) and Eagles (31-17, 10-12), who were tied for sixth in the conference standings going into the series, approached numerous school records for runs and hits, and the Pioneers got three of them in the game which saw strong north winds blowing out to right field where most of the game's dozen home runs – eight by WBU – went over the fence. The Pioneers' eight long balls matched a program record from a couple of seasons ago.
With big boosts by Green,
Arturo Disla who had five hits and
Caleb Rozier who had four, the Pioneers also broke a program record by pounding 28 hits, ecllipsing the old mark by two. Wayland also ended with a program record-matching nine doubles with four players – Green, Disla,
Delvis Claudio and
Danny Arambula – getting two two-baggers each.
Green's seven-hit performance put him in the record books above former teammate Gregory Ozuna, a shortstop who had six hits in a game two years ago, and Miguel Pagan, who had six in 2011. Green's career day raised his batting average from .324 to .356.
The Pioneers' 25 runs represented a season-best and came within three of a program record. WBU ended with 23 RBI, including seven (two off the school record) by Claudio, who had a homer and two doubles.
But it was Green, a fifth-year catcher, who could do no wrong in the batter's box. He doubled in his first two plate appearances, hustled his way to three infield singles, singled to left then homered in his final at-bat in the eighth to get the record.
Southwestern Christian scored in each of the first seven innings before
Grayson Soukup, Wayland's fourth pitcher, shut out the Eagles in their last two at-bats to preserve the win. The Pioneers also scored in every at-bat but two, plating between three and six runs in six frames. The Pioneers batted around in the first, second, fifth and seventh innings
SCU ended with 19 hits but managed only one off Soukup (3-1), who went 2 1/3 innings. In his final appearance at Wilder, senior starter
Ty Jackson allowed 11 runs (eight earned) on 10 hits while striking out five and walking five in 4 2/3. The four Pioneer hurlers combined to walk 10.
The Pioneers and Eagles hit the field for two more beginning at noon Saturday, after 11 seniors are recognized in an on-field ceremony beginning at 11:30.
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