Fabian's Walk-Off Double, Polanco's 13 K's Lift Pioneers to Huge Win Over Stars for 11th Straight W

Canyon, Tex. --- Samuel Fabian's clutch game-winning double walks-off the Stars to clinch the 6-5 win for the Pioneers to open this three-game series with Oklahoma City. With the win, the Pioneers now push their win streak to 11 games.
 
After rain, snow, and unplayable fields made this series difficult to begin, we finally got underway at 9:00 PM on Sunday night in Canyon, Texas on the campus of West Texas A&M University.
 
Oklahoma City opened the scoring in tonight's contest with two runs in the top of the 1^st to take an early lead.
 
Wayland Baptist would scratch across their first run of the game in bottom of the 3^rd after Cooper Jauz dropped down a beautiful squeeze bunt that allowed Christian Toledo to scramble home to cut their deficit in half, 2-1.
 
The Stars got that run back quickly in the top of the 4^th after a solo home run made it 3-1.
 
However, the Pioneers would threaten again in the bottom of the 5^th when they put runners on the corners with one out. The Stars pitchers attempted pick-off of third but threw it to the Pioneers dugout which allowed Delvis Claudio to scurry home and cut their deficit to just one run.
 
OCU added a crucial insurance run in the top of the 6^th to extend their lead back to two runs, but once again, the Pioneers would battle their way back. In the bottom of the 6^th, Riley Watson tacked on another run for the Pioneers by slapping a single towards shortstop while Edgard Bermudez was executing a hit-and-run, which promptly allowed Bermudez to rush home for the run to make it 4-3, OCU.
 
The Pioneers tied the game in the bottom of the 8^th after Watson hit a fly ball that just got out far enough for Raphael Beltre Toledo to tag up and tie the game up at 4-4. Toledo followed immediately with a go-ahead single to score Arturo Nunez that put the Pioneers ahead 5-4 late with all the momentum.
 
That momentum was dashed by the Stars in the top of the 9^th after a two-out solo home run tied the game up at 5-5 with the Pioneers having a chance to win it in their half of the 9^th.
 
Samuel Fabian was quiet at the plate up until this point, but he had the loudest swing of the night when he drove the game-winning double down the left field line to score Jauz from second and secure the massive 6-5 over the Stars to open this series.
 
Fabian finished 1 for 4 with a double, a walk, and an RBI. Watson went 1 for 3 with two RBIs and a stolen base. Toledo finished 1 for 3 with a walk, an RBI, and a run scored. Claudio finished 3 for 5 with a double and a run scored.
 
Polanco operated as the Pioneers starting pitcher, and he showed tremendous grit to get through 8.0 innings of work, allowing four runs (three earned), four walks, and a career-high 13 strikeouts.
 
The Pioneers will conclude this three-game series with Oklahoma City on Monday, April 7^th when the two teams square off in a doubleheader at Bulldog Field in Plainview, Texas. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 1:00 PM.