Jauz's Walk-Off Single over Stars in Game Two Clinches 6th Straight SAC Series Win for Pioneers

Plainview --- Cooper Jauz clinched the series win for the Pioneers over the Stars of Oklahoma City University with a walk-off single to win game two and split Monday's doubleheader. The Stars earned an 8-7 win in game one, but Jauz's walk-off secured the 11-10 win for the Pioneers in game two.
 
 
GAME ONE
 
The Pioneers opened the scoring in game one in the bottom of the 1^st after an RBI single from Samuel Fabian made it 1-0 early. Two batters later, Sinclair Pimentel knocked in Fabian with an RBI single to give the Pioneers a 2-0 lead after the first inning of play.
 
Delvis Claudio added another run for the Pioneers in the bottom of the 2^nd with an opposite field blast – his 17^th home run of the season – to extend their lead to 3-0.
 
In the bottom of the 3^rd, Pimentel came up massive for the Pioneers with a three-run bomb – his 3^rd home run of the season – to push them ahead, 6-0.
 
The Stars cut their deficit in half in the top of the 4^th with a three-run home run to make the score 6-3, WBU.
 
Claudio wasn't finished displaying the power as he crushed his second solo home run of the game – his 18^th of the season – for a massive insurance run that put the Pioneers ahead 7-3 after four innings of play.
 
The Stars began to battle back in the top of the 6^th and manufactured four runs on four hits to tie the game up at 7-7. Oklahoma City took their first lead of the game in the top of the 7^th after a solo blast made it 8-7.
 
The Pioneer offense was unable to tie the game in the bottom of the 7^th and fell short in game one, 8-7, to snap their impressive win streak at 11 games.
 
Pimentel finished today's opener going 2 for 3 with a home run, four RBIs, and a walk. Claudio went 2 for 3 with two home runs and a walk. Fabian finished 2 for 4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Felix Polanco went 2 for 4 with two doubles and a run scored.
 
 
GAME TWO
 
The Pioneers found themselves in an early bind after the Stars scored three runs in the first inning to jump ahead early, but the Pioneers responded with a run in the bottom of the 1^st after an RBI double from Fabian made it 3-1 after the first.
 
After a few scoreless innings, the Stars struck again in the top of the 4^th for two more runs to extend their lead to 5-1.
 
The Pioneers struggled to get anything going offensively early in game two, but the bats woke up in the bottom of the 5^th.
 
Jauz started the big inning with an RBI double that made it 5-2, OCU. Three batters later, Arcadio Frausto delivered a momentum shifting three-run bomb – his 2^nd of the season – that tied the game up at 5-5 after five innings of play.
 
OCU was able to re-gain the in the top of the 6^th, but the Pioneers wasted no time gaining the momentum back after loading the bases and eventually tying the game at 6-6 after a wild pitch thrown by the Stars. Frausto then put the Pioneers back ahead after reaching base on a Stars error that allowed Jauz to score and make it 7-6.
 
Polanco added another run for the Pioneers in the top of the 7^th after a straight steal of home combined with a beautiful swim-move to avoid the catcher's tag made the score 8-6. Pimentel added one more run for the Pioneers in the 7^th with an RBI single that made it 9-6.
 
Just when it seemed as if the Pioneers were going to cruise to another win, the Stars rattled off four runs in the top of the 7^th to go ahead 10-9 late.
 
The Pioneers loaded the bases after three straight batters were plunked by pitches, which then brought Jauz to the plate with a chance to win the game.
 
Win the game is exactly what Jauz would do, smashing a two-run single to right to walk-off the Stars, 11-10, for the second time in this three-game series.
 
Jauz led the Pioneers offensively in game two by going 2 for 3 with a double, three RBIs, two walks, and three runs scored. Frausto finished 1 for 3 with a home run, three RBIs, a walk, and a stolen base. Fabian went 1 for 1 with a double, three walks, an RBI, and two runs scored. Polanco went 3 for 4 with a double, a stolen base, and a run scored.
 
With the win, the Pioneers clinched their sixth Sooner Athletic Conference series win out of seven opportunities, putting them at 16-5 in conference play and in a tie for first place in the SAC with Mid-America Christian.
 
 
UP NEXT
 
The Pioneers will travel to Arlington, Texas for a midweek non-conference doubleheader against the Patriots of Arlington Baptist University on Wednesday, April 9^th. Game one is scheduled to begin at 3:00 PM.