Pioneers Complete Four-Game Sweep of OLLU

San Antonio -- It was a great weekend for the Pioneer Baseball team as they capped off a four-game sweep of Our Lady of the Lake University by winning both games of today's doubleheader behind great pitching and timely hitting. The Pioneers won game one by a score of 4-1 and followed that up with a hard-fought comeback win in game two, 5-3.
 
 
GAME ONE
 
Game one was a pitchers dual for the first four innings as neither offense could find their swing. Wayland Baptist starting pitcher Felix Polanco had only given up two hits after four innings, then the Pioneer offense woke up.
 
Riley Watson continued his solid start to the season by drilling a two-run single to right that put the Pioneers up 2-0. After stealing second base, Watson promptly came across to score after Christian Toledo smacked a single to left to put the Pioneers up 3-0. Polanco found himself in a jam after the first three Saints hitters reached base to begin the bottom of the 5^th, but Polanco escaped the inning and only allowed one run to score on a sacrifice fly.
 
Samuel Fabian stepped into the box as a pinch-hitter in the top of the 7^th and crushed a solo shot to left center to put the Pioneers ahead 4-1. Polanco finished what he started and closed out the Saints to secure the 4-1 game one win for the Pioneers.
 
Polanco dominated the Saints lineup all afternoon. He finished with a complete game (7.0 innings), one run (no earned runs), only one walk, and eight strikeouts. Polanco picked up his first win of the season and is now 1-1, but more importantly, the Pioneers were able to save their entire bullpen for the second game of the day.
 
Watson finished 1 for 3 with two RBIs, a stolen base, and a run scored. Fabian finished 1 for 1 with a pinch-hit bomb – his second home run on the season.
 
 
GAME TWO
 
The Saints opened the scoring in game two with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 3^rd inning to take a 1-0 lead over the Pioneers. The Saints would scratch across two more runs in the bottom of the 4^th inning and seemed to be taking control of this series finale.
 
Fabian had different plans as he stepped to the plate as a pinch-hitter for the second game in a row and crushed a two-run homer to left to trim the Pioneer deficit to just 3-2. Watson would cash in for the Pioneers in the top of the 6^th with a clutch two-run triple to put the Pioneers ahead 4-3. Watson would then cross home plate on a Saint error to put the Pioneers ahead 5-3 late in this one.
 
Isaac Rodriguez entered the game out of the Pioneer bullpen and inherited a bases-loaded, one out jam, but he showed great poise and got the next two Saints to popout and flyout. This secured a 5-3 victory for the Pioneers and clinched a four-game sweep of the Saints.
 
Wellington Vargas got the start for the Pioneers and game two, and he threw 3.2 innings while allowing three runs (two earned), four walks, and striking out two. Tate House was the first to enter out of the pen for the Pioneers. House threw 1.2 scoreless innings, while allowing three walks and striking out two. Rodriguez got the save by throwing 1.1 scoreless innings, allowing no hits, and one walk.
 
Watson finished game two going 1 for 3 with a triple, two RBIs, and a run scored. Fabian went 1 for 1 with a two-run, pinch-hit home run – his third home run of the season. Cooper Jauz went 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored.
 
 
UP NEXT
 
The Pioneers will travel to Hobbs, New Mexico for a Thursday doubleheader against the University of the Southwest (NM) on February 6^th. Game one is scheduled to start at 1:00 PM CST. Game two will begin 30 minutes after the final out of game one.