Plainview, Texas – The Pioneers were walk-off winners in game two of Friday's doubleheader as they were able to split the first two games of the 4-game series against the Grizzlies of Adams State University.
Wayland Baptist (8-10) fell behind early in game one after the Grizzlies pushed across a couple of runs by a single and a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0. They followed that up with a two-run homer to make it 4-0 after the top of the 1
st. After the Pioneers went down quiet in their half of the 1
st, the Grizzlies added two more runs to make it a 6-0 ballgame.
Samuel Fabian hit a moonshot on top of the Hutcherson Center out in left center field to get the Pioneers on the board in the bottom of the 2
nd. In the bottom of the 3
rd, the Pioneers picked up the momentum after Jan Rollon Jr drew a walk and scored on a
Delvis Claudio double to left to make it 6-2. The next batter,
Felix Polanco drove a pitch to left for a two-run home run to make it a 6-4 ballgame.
The Grizzlies got a run back in the top of the 4
th on a sacrifice fly, making it 7-4. The Pioneers scratched across two more runs in the bottom of the 5
th after the Grizzlies pitcher fielded a grounder back to him and threw it to the backstop for a bases loaded error, making it 7-6 in favor of Adams State.
Riley Watson tied the game for the Pioneers in the bottom of the 6
th after driving in Fabian with a sacrifice fly. The Grizzlies hit a solo shot and an RBI single in the top of the 7
th to retake the lead, 9-7. Polanco stepped to the plate for the Pioneers in the bottom of the 7
th and teed off for his 2
nd home run of the game, this time a solo shot that made it a 9-8 ballgame. Unfortunately, the Pioneers were unable to bring another run in and suffered a 9-8 defeat in game one.
Juan Gil-Franco made the start for the Pioneers in game one – pitching 6 innings, giving up 7 runs but only 4 earned runs, 8 hits, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts.
William Flowers threw an inning in relief, and he gave up 2 runs but only 1 earned, and 2 hits.
Felix Polanco went 2-4 with 2 home runs, 5 RBIs, and a stolen base.
Samuel Fabian went 2-3 with a solo home run, 2 runs scored, and a stolen base.
Delvis Claudio went 1-3 with an RBI double, a run scored, and a walk.
Tyson Potts got the nod to start game two for the Pioneers and he threw a gem of a performance pitching a complete game only 2 runs allowed but one earned run, 5 hits, 2 walks, and a season-high 12 strikeouts. Potts threw 124 pitches in the contest to earn the win.
The Grizzlies got on the board first in game two after runners were able to advance on an error, and one scored on a sacrifice fly later in the inning to make it 1-0. After the Pioneers went down quiet their first two innings up to bat, the Grizzlies scratched across another run by an RBI triple. In the bottom of the 3
rd, Rollon Jr. got the Pioneers on the board with an RBI double to right to score
Hayden Ingram from second, making it a 2-1 ballgame. In the top of the 6
th inning, Potts had one of the rare innings where a pitcher recorded four strikeouts in an inning after a batter reach on a strike three wild pitch. The Pioneers couldn't get Potts any run support for the majority of game two, but the bottom of the 7
th had a change of fortune for Wayland Baptist.
Fabian ripped a double to left to begin the bottom of the 7
th inning.
Gustavo Nava singled to center, which triggered Head Coach Todd Weldon to summon
Jose Ayala to pinch run. Ayala was able to swipe second base, which put runners at second and third.
Cooper Jauz stepped up to be the hero as he smashed a walk-off single to center field to score two runs, giving the Pioneers a 3-2 game two victory.
Jauz went 1-3 with that massive two-run single that walked it off. Rollon Jr. went 1-3 with an RBI double. Fabian went 1-3 with a double and a run scored.
The Pioneers will wrap up this 4-game weekend series with Adams State University on Saturday afternoon with another doubleheader. The first pitch for game one is set for 1:00 PM.
