OKLAHOMA CITY – Mid-America Christian University's baseball team had a chance to make a statement on Friday afternoon, hosting the NAIA #23 Wayland Baptist Pioneers for the first two games of a three-game weekend series. At the end of the afternoon, MACU had a pair of hard-fought victories.
MACU (23-10, 10-4 SAC) picked up a 3-2 walk-off win in game one, and in game two, the Evangels opened a big lead before holding off the Pioneers (20-11, 8-6 SAC) 6-4.
WBU opened the scoring in the first game, when Devlin Smith doubled with the bases loaded in the second inning. The two-base knock drove in two runs, but MACU Keisy Portorreal wiggled his way out of the jam with just the 2-0 deficit.
In the bottom of the fourth frame, Luis Sanchez launched his fifth home run of the season, a two-run shot that also scored Felix Martinez and tied the game at 2-2.
The game remained tied into the bottom of the seventh, and neither team really threatened until MACU stepped to the plate in the bottom of the final inning. Raymond Rodriguez singled with one out in the inning, and he moved to third on a ground out and a wild pitch. Antonio Dorado drew a walk, and Diego Pichardo stepped into the box and blooped a walk-off RBI-single to center that scored Rodriguez and gave MACU the 3-2 win.
Portorreal (7-2) earned the victory and in the process, he set a new program record for single season pitching victories. The junior right-hander allowed two earned runs on six hits and two walks, and he struck out six in the complete game. Kevin Torres (3-2) allowed three earned runs on seven hits, two walks, and five strikeouts in six and two-third innings to take the loss.
Pichardo was 2-for-4 in the game for the Evangels, and Sanchez's home run was the only extra base hit for the Evangels in the contest.
MACU opened the scoring in game two when Sanchez singled home Dorado in the bottom of the third inning. Logan Gipson followed with a two-RBI double to push MACU's lead to 3-0.
Wayland Baptist got an RBI double from Matt Flores in the top of the fourth, but MACU hurler Reid Wall was able to get out of the frame without further damage.
In the fifth frame, Junior Aracena lifted a sacrifice fly to left that scored Pichardo, and later in the inning, Kevin Lentzner singled home Sanchez to put MACU on top 5-1. The Pioneers pushed across a run in the top of the sixth, but that run was answered in the bottom of the inning as Pichardo raced around to score from first on a throwing error on an attempted double play, and as the game headed to the seventh, MACU led 6-2.
A double and a walk to start the inning chased MACU reliever Jairo Aparicio from the game, and Jake White entered to try and nail down his first save as an Evangel. The Pioneers, though, greeted him rudely with back-to-back singles, driving in one run and leaving the bases loaded. White, though, buckled down, inducing a 6-4-3 double play ground ball from Derek Farmer and a line out from Yaniel Vargas to end the game in a 6-4 Evangels' victory.
Wall (2-0) earned the win, lasting five and two-thirds innings and allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits and three walks while striking out eight. Bradden Kennard (1-4) took the loss for the Pioneers, as he was charged with five runs, four earned, on eight hits, two walks, and two strikeouts in four and a third frames. White (1) earned the save, despite allowing two hits and a walk in his inning of work.
Pichardo again led the way for MACU, posting a 3-for-4 game with three runs scored. Sanchez was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI, Axel Poesmans singled twice in three trips, and Gipson was 1-for-1 with a double, two walks, and two RBIs.
The teams will conclude their weekend series on Saturday with a 1 p.m. single game.
