Polanco, Pimentel Combine for 7 RBIs as Pioneers Dominate DSU to Stay Alive in 2025 NAIA Baseball Opening Rounds presented by Avista

Lewiston --- After a tough loss in the opener, the Pioneers answered back with a nice 12-4 victory over the Blue Hawks of Dickinson State University to advance in the 2025 NAIA Baseball Opening Rounds presented by Avista.
 
 
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
 
The Pioneer bats woke up early in this one. The first two batters reached base to begin the game, then Felix Polanco gave the Pioneers a 1-0 after smoking an RBI double to left to score Delvis Claudio from third.
 
The Blue Hawks committed a costly error early in the top of the 2^nd that allowed Raphael Beltre to score and extend the Pioneer lead to 2-0. A few batters later, Polanco added another RBI to his stat line after lacing a single to left to score Riley Watson and make it 3-0, WBU.
 
The Blue Hawks battled back in the bottom of the 3^rd and tied the game up at 3-3 after a two-run single and an RBI groundout.
 
Pioneer shortstop Sinclair Pimentel has been on a torrid stretch at the plate to begin this tournament, and he continued that stretch in the top of the 4^th with a massive go-ahead grand slam to push the Pioneers ahead 7-3 and give them all the momentum.
 
After both offenses cooled off over the next few innings, Wayland Baptist erupted again in the top of the 9^th. Christian Toledo started the flurry of runs for the Pioneers with an RBI squeeze bunt, which he beat out for a hit, that made it 8-3. Sebastian Bravo then entered as a pinch-hitter and promptly smoked a two-run single up the middle to extend the Pioneer lead to 10-3.
 
Cooper Jauz added another insurance run with a sacrifice squeeze bunt that scored Toledo from third to give the Pioneers an 11-3 advantage. The big insurance inning was capped off by another RBI single from Polanco that made it 12-3, WBU.
 
The Blue Hawks scratched across one run in the bottom of the 9^th, but Branin Seibert recorded the final three outs via punch outs to secure the 12-4 win for the Pioneers – advancing them on in the 2025 NAIA Baseball Opening Rounds presented by Avista.
 
Polanco was unstoppable at the dish, finishing 5 for 6 with two doubles, three RBIs, and a run scored. Pimentel finished 3 for 5 with a grand slam and a double. Jauz went 2 for 4 with an RBI, a hit by pitch, and a run scored. Bravo went 1 for 1 with two RBIs and a run scored.
 
Tate House got the start for the Pioneers in this one. He tossed 2.0 innings, allowing three runs, two walks, and two strikeouts.
 
Seibert entered out of the pen and was light out this afternoon. He tossed 7.0 innings, allowing only one run, three walks, while striking out nine Blue Hawks.
 
 
UP NEXT
 
The 2-seed Pioneers will now play the 4-seed Oregon Tech Owls later tonight at approximately 8:30 PM CST. The Pioneers must win this game in order to remain in the 2025 NAIA Baseball Opening Rounds presented by Avista.
 
For more information about the 2025 NAIA Baseball Opening Rounds presented by Avista, please visit: https://www.naia.org/sports/bsb/2024-25/Releases/Opening_Round