PLAINVIEW --- Wayland Baptist softball put together a complete day at the plate and in the circle on Saturday, earning a doubleheader sweep over Sterling with an 11–10 walk-off win in eight innings in Game 1 and a 14–6 victory in Game 2.
Across four games this weekend, the Pioneer offense compiled 44 runs scored and have six players with a .400 batting average or better.
Game 1: Wayland Baptist 11, Sterling 10 (8 innings)
The Pioneers showed tremendous resilience in the opener, rallying from an early seven-run deficit to secure an 11–10 extra-inning victory.
Sterling jumped out to a 7–0 lead in the top of the first inning, but Wayland refused to fold. The comeback began in the second, as the Pioneers scored five runs behind timely hitting and aggressive baserunning.
Mikenzi Carlo delivered a two-run double, while
Reagan Davis-Pena and
Mikayla Carrillo helped fuel the rally.
Wayland added two more runs in the third inning to cut the deficit to 7–5, then tied the game in the fourth and fifth innings. A sacrifice fly by
Yaneli Jaramillo and an RBI single from Carlo gave Wayland a 9–7 advantage before Sterling answered in the fifth to regain the lead.
Carrillo tied the game in the bottom of the fifth on a passed ball, and the score remained deadlocked at 10–10 through seven innings as Wayland's pitching staff settled in.
Brooke McLaurin,
Brooklyn Ray, and
Mia Gray combined to limit Sterling over the final seven innings, allowing the Pioneers to stay within striking distance.
In the bottom of the eighth, Wayland delivered the finishing blow. After loading the bases, Carlo came through once again, lining a walk-off RBI single to left field to seal the dramatic comeback.
Carlo led the offense by going 3-for-5 with four RBIs, while Davis-Pena finished with two hits and two RBIs. Carrillo added two runs scored and a triple in the victory.
Game 2: Wayland Baptist 14, Sterling 6 (6 innings)
Wayland carried its momentum into Game 2, putting together one of its most complete offensive performances of the season in a 14–6 run-rule win.
After a scoreless first inning, the Pioneers struck first in the second.
Kailee Sanchez delivered a two-run single, and Davis-Pena followed with a sacrifice fly to give Wayland a 3–0 lead.
Sterling responded with four runs over the next two innings, briefly taking a 4–3 advantage. Wayland answered immediately in the bottom of the fourth with a five-run outburst. Davis-Pena tied the game with an RBI triple, Carrillo drove in another run, and McLaurin added a two-run single to push the Pioneers ahead 7–4.
Berkley Bradley capped the inning with an RBI double.
The Pioneers continued to apply pressure in the sixth, breaking the game open with six more runs. RBI hits from
Colette Kelley, Sanchez, Carlo, and Davis-Pena highlighted the inning as Wayland extended its lead to 14–6.
Davis-Pena turned in another strong performance, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs, a triple, and a double. Carlo stayed hot at the plate, finishing a perfect 4-for-4 with two RBIs, while Sanchez drove in three runs. McLaurin added two RBIs, and Bradley collected two hits.
In the circle,
Logan Schultz earned the start and worked three solid innings.
Isabella Penk and
Erin Trevino combined to close out the game and limit Sterling's offense late.
Head Coach
Enrique Villa spoke about his team's performance this weekend saying, "We hit the ball well all weekend. Our pitchers did well overall and kept us in every game. We will work on tightening up our defense and being a little more efficient with our pitches."
Up Next
The Pioneers will return to the diamond on Friday, February 13
th, when they open a four-game series against Tabor (KS). The two teams will play a doubleheader on Friday with game one scheduled to begin at 2:00 PM.
