OKLAHOMA CITY – The Mid-America Christian University baseball team had a chance to take a weekend series sweep of the NAIA #23 Wayland Baptist University Pioneers on Saturday afternoon, as they wrapped up a 13-game homestand. The Evangels, however, were unable to get any offense going early in the game, and by the time the offense did get rolling, the deficit was too large to overcome.
MACU (23-11, 10-5 SAC) fell behind 1-0 early in the game, and from there Wayland (21-11, 9-6 SAC) belted four home runs to take an 8-3 win to salvage the final game of the three game weekend set.
MACU starting pitcher Ben Donnell got the first two batters of the afternoon to strike out, but with two outs in the first, Gregg Veneklasen singled and Nick Rucker doubled to put the Pioneers on top 1-0. MACU got a lead-off single from Antonio Dorado in the bottom of the first inning, and Diego Pichardo followed by drawing a walk to put two on with nobody out. Unfortunately for the Evangels, Juan Arroyo induced a double-play ground ball from Felix Martinez and the Evangels were unable to get the game tied as Luis Sanchez struck out swinging to end the threat.
The game remained tied into the top of the fifth, when again with two outs Veneklasen and Rucker struck. This time the two hit back-to-back homers to push the Pioneers lead to 4-0, and WBU added two more two-run homers later in the game.
Trailing 6-0 in the seventh, MACU put together a rally to get back in the game. Martinez started the seventh with a single to short, and Sanchez followed by drawing a free pass. Junior Aracena singled home Martinez after a passed ball moved runners to second and third. Raymond Rodriguez lifted a sacrifice fly in foul territory down the left field line, and Axel Poesmans doubled home Aracena to cut the lead to 6-3. Dorado walked to load the bases, and Pichardo stepped to the plate with a chance to continue cutting into the deficit, but he was retired on a bang-bang play at first to retire the side and end the threat. MACU was unable to get another runner on base in the contest, and WBU held on to an 8-3 win.
Arroyo (1-1) went six innings and gave up three earned runs on four hits and two walks and nine strikeouts as he earned the win. Donnell (4-1) allowed six earned runs on 10 hits in five innings, and he walked one and struck out five in the loss. Carlos Dominguez (3) retired the last seven batters MACU sent to the plate to earn the save.
Poesmans doubled twice and had an RBI; and Dorado, Martinez, and Aracena each singled in the game. Martinez, Sanchez, and Aracena scored runs; and Aracena and Rodriguez added RBIs.
MACU will be back in action on Thursday, March 29, when they head to eastern Oklahoma to take on the Bacone College Warriors (10-18, 5-10 SAC). The teams will play a single game on Thursday in Muskogee, Oklahoma before the series migrates to Oklahoma City for the final two games on Saturday, March 31.
