DALLAS – The Mid-America Christian baseball team had to fight back from a four-run deficit, but managed to pull out a big 9-7 win in eight innings over Central Baptist on Friday afternoon on the campus of Dallas Christian College.

The Evangels also faced Dallas Christian in the late afternoon game, but the contest was suspended in the sixth inning due to sunset. Mid-America Christian will resume play against Dallas Christian tomorrow morning at 8:30 a.m. with a 6-3 lead and two runners on-base in the bottom of the sixth.
 

SCORE

• Mid-America Christian 9, Central Baptist 7
  • Mid-America Christian (1-0)
  • Central Baptist (1-1)

 
DECISION

• Win: Jaily Paredes (1-0)
• Loss: Blaine Burge (0-1)

 
STAT LEADERS

• Andres Gonzalez – 2-for-5, 2 RBI, 1 R
• Joshua Fernandez – 2-for-3, 2 BB, 2 R, 1 RBI
• Isaiah Haddad – 2-for-3, 2 BB, 1 RBI, 1 R
• Jaily Paredes – 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 SO

 
SCORING SUMMARY

• Top 1^st – MACU – Edgar Martinez singled through the right side, RBI; Isaiah Haddad scored. - MACU 1, CBC 0
• Top 1^st – MACU – Andres Gonzalez singled through the right side, RBI; Raymond Palmero scored. - MACU 2, CBC 0
• Bottom 2^nd – CBC – Wille Baez doubled down the lf line, RBI; Steven Stewart advanced to third, Ruben Hernandez scored. – MACU 2, CBC 1
• Bottom 2^nd – CBC – Wille Baez advanced to third on a walk, Steven Stewart scored. – MACU 2, CBC 2
• Bottom 2^nd – CBC – Alex Flores singled to center field, RBI; Wille Baez scored. – CBC 3, MACU 2
• Bottom 2^nd – CBC – Jay French doubled to left center, RBI; Alex Flores scored. – CBC 4, MACU 2
• Bottom 2^nd – CBC – Will Hodges grounded out to second, RBI; French scored, unearned. – CBC 5, MACU 2
• Bottom 4^th – CBC – Ty Decker grounded out to second, RBI; Wille Baez scored. – CBC 6, MACU 2
• Top 5^th – MACU – Grant Roberts singled to left center, advanced to third on a fielding error by cf; Joshua Fernandez scored on the error, Julian Fernandez scored, Yan Ely Adames scored. – CBC 6, MACU 5
• Top 5^th – MACU – Isaiah Haddad singled to center field, RBI; Brandon Reese advanced to second, out at third, cf to 3b; Grant Roberts scored. – MACU 6, CBC 6
• Top 7^th – MACU – Joshua Fernandez scored on a wild pitch. – MACU 7, CBC 6
• Bottom 7^th – CBC – Will Hodges singled to left field, RBI; Jay French scored. – MACU 7, CBC 7
• Top 8^th – MACU – Andres Gonzalez doubled down the lf line; Raymond Palmero scored. – MACU 8, CBC 7
• Top 8^th – MACU – Joshua Fernandez singled to center field; RBI; Andres Gonzalez scored. – MACU 9, CBC 7

 
GAME SUMMARY

• Edgar Martinez and Andres Gonzalez helped Mid-America Christian (1-0) jump out to an early 2-0 lead on a pair of RBI singles hit toward the hole at second base.
• Central Baptist (1-1) was able to put together a big second inning, scoring five runs in the frame to take a 5-2 lead.
• After CBC pushed across an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth to make it 6-2, the Evangels stormed back. After loading the bases, Grant Roberts smashed a single through to left center field that was misplayed by the Mustangs center fielder, allowing Yan Ely Adames, Julian Fernandez and Joshua Fernandez to reach home and trim the deficit to 6-5.
• Isaiah Haddad slapped a single into center field to score Roberts from third to tie the game, but the Mustangs were able to end the inning by throwing out Brandon Reese trying to stretch to third to hold the game at a 6-all tie.
• In the top of the seventh, Joshua Fernandez blasted a triple to deep center field and then gave MACU the lead after he scored on a wild pitch to make it a 7-6 Evangels edge.
• Central Baptist managed to force extras in the bottom of the seventh when Will Hodges pushed a single into left. Jaily Paredes came in relief and retired the final two batters to force extra innings.
• After Raymond Palmero led off the inning with a walk, Andres Gonzalez put the Evangels up for good when he smashed a double to left field, scoring Palmero from third to give MACU the 8-7 lead.
• Joshua Fernandez added an insurance run with an RBI single to center to score Gonzalez, increasing the MACU advantage to 9-7.
• Paredes shut the door on a Mustangs comeback, retiring CBC in-order and striking out Wille Baez to seal the win.

 
GAME NOTES

• Mid-America Christian scored its nine runs on 14 hits and committed one error while Central Baptist scored its seven runs on nine hits and made one miscue.
• It was the first time Mid-America Christian won its season-opener since topping Texas College 2-0 on Feb. 3, 2017.
• Central Baptist was ranked in Perfect Game USA's NAIA Top 25 Poll heading into the weekend, holding the No. 23 spot in the ranking.
• Arcangel Soto made his first start since 2019 after missing the 2020 campaign due to knee surgery. Soto earned a no-decision after throwing four innings and allowing six runs, five earned on six hits, a walk, and three strikeouts.
• Frensly Leito also tossed 2.1 innings of relief out of the MACU pen, allowing just one earned run on three hits to go with three strikeouts.
• The Evangels drew eight walks as a team while the pitching staff allowed just one Mustang to reach base via a walk.
• Nine different Evangels recorded hits and five players (Isaiah Haddad, Joshua Fernandez, Andres Gonzalez Edgar Martinez, Grant Roberts) notched two hits apiece.

 
UP NEXT

• Mid-America Christian will finish off its suspended game against Dallas Christian tomorrow morning at 8:30 a.m. before facing off against Central Baptist once again at 9:30 a.m. The Evangels will wrap-up its four-game series against Dallas Christian with a 2:30 p.m. first pitch.