Plainview, Texas -- The Wayland Baptist University Pioneers defeated the Mid-America Christian University Evangels by scores of 5-2 and 20-8 to finish off a four-game sweep Saturday afternoon (Mar. 23) in Plainview, Texas.
The Evangels got a scare in the first game when catcher Jake Magness took a pitch to the head and was taken to a hospital in Lubbock, Texas, but Magness is reportedly doing fine and will travel home with the team tonight.
MACU starter Christian Hill kept the Evangels close in the opener by blanking the Pioneers on one hit through the first three innings.
Hill ran into trouble in the fourth when Johnny Hendrixson hit a lead-off double and was chased home on a single by Chris Buitron. An RBI groundout by Tyler Doolittle put the Pioneers up 2-0.
The Evangels got on the board in the fifth on an RBI groundout from Z Tipton that plated JP Seifried, but the Pioneers answered by capitalizing on a pair of MACU miscues to score three in the bottom of the inning.
Kenny Bruehl reached on a fielder's choice to score Hill for the Evangels in the seventh inning.
Hill gave up only two earned runs in six innings, while WBU starter Ryan Downs lasted 6 2/3 innings and allowed two runs to pick up the win.
A bases-loaded walk to Trent Daniels put the Evangels on top in the first inning of the nightcap, but Hendrixson doubled home two runs to key a five-run second inning for the Pioneers.
An error allowed the Evangels to score two in the third to come within two runs and an RBI single by Hill in the fourth made it 6-4.
Jovany Padilla then powered a four-run bottom of the fourth with a three-run homer and a two-run shot by Colton Palmer keyed an eight-run sixth inning that put it away.
Dustin Carlsward had an RBI groundout that scored Ben McKenzie as part of a four-run seventh inning for the Evangels.
Kory Palmer and Seifried each had two hits for MACU, while Hendrixson and Padilla each drove in four runs to pace the Pioneers.
Logan Evanges pitched 2 2/3 shutout innings out of the bullpen for WBU to get the win.
The Evangels will return home on Tuesday afternoon for a doubleheader against Ottawa University beginning at 1 p.m. at James Curtis Field.
