OKLAHOMA CITY – The MACU baseball team battled back from 11 runs down, scoring seven unanswered runs to make things interesting late, but the Evangels came up just short to the SAC champions as MACU fell 12-8 in the regular season finale to No. 14 Texas Wesleyan at the MACU Baseball Field on Sunday afternoon.
SCORE
- Texas Wesleyan 12, Mid-America Christian 8
- Mid-America Christian (35-14, 15-9 SAC)
- Texas Wesleyan (35-12, 18-6 SAC)
PITCHING DECISION
TOP PERFORMERS
- Ryan Reed – 4-5, 2B, 2 R, RBI
- Andrew Enwiya – 2-5, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, R
- Yan Ely Adames – 2-5, HR, 2 RBI, R
SCORING SUMMARY
- BTM 1st – MACU – Noel McGarry-Doyle hit a sac fly to rf, RBI; Ryan Reed scored – MACU 1, JCU 0
- TOP 2nd – TWU – Jose Sosa grounded out to ss, RBI; Jonathan Pena scored – MACU 1, TWU 1
- TOP 3rd – TWU – Kevin Santiago singled to left, RBI; Hayden Hutchens scored – TWU 2, MACU 1
- TOP 3rd – TWU – Jonathan Pena homered to center, 3 RBI; Kevin Santiago scored; Brandon Rincones scored – TWU 5, MACU 1
- TOP 4th – TWU – Jose Sosa homered to left, RBI – TWU 6, MACU 1
- TOP 4th – TWU – Logan Silvertooth homered to left-center, RBI – TWU 7, MACU 1
- TOP 4th – TWU – TJ Tomlinson singled thru right side, RBI; Hayden Hutchens scored – TWU 8, MACU 1
- TOP 4th – TWU – Greyson Barrett hit a sac fly to lf, RBI; TJ Tomlinson scored – TWU 9, MACU 1
- TOP 4th – TWU – Kevin Santiago homered to center, RBI – TWU 10, MACU 1
- TOP 4th – TWU – Carson Cheany homered to right-center, 2 RBI; Jonathan Pena scored – TWU 12, MACU 1
- BTM 5th – MACU – Ryan Reed singled to 3b, RBI; Cole Fuecker scored – TWU 12, MACU 2
- BTM 7th – MACU – Andrew Enwiya homered to left-center, 3 RBI; Ryan Reed scored; Devon Villanueva scored – TWU 12, MACU 5
- BTM 8th – MACU – Yan Adames homered to left-center, 2 RBI; George Gallardo scored – TWU 12, MACU 7
- BTM 8th – MACU – Julian Martinez scored on a balk – TWU 12, MACU 8
GAME NOTES
- Mid-America Christian scored eight runs on 13 hits with one error while Texas Wesleyan held the scoring edge with 12 runs on 11 hits.
- MACU wasted no time getting on the board as the Evangels took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first after Ryan Reed led off with a double to right and came around to score on a sacrifice fly to right by Noel McGarry-Doyle.
- Texas Wesleyan rattled off 12 unanswered runs scoring one in the 2nd, four in the third and capped it off with a big seven-run fourth inning. During the offensive surge, the Rams blasted five home runs.
- The Evangels were able to get one run back in the bottom of the fifth when Reed smashed a rocket off the third baseman, plating Cole Fuecker to make it a 12-2 game. MACU had a chance to add to it with runners at second and third with two outs, but TWU starter Justin Ward was able to get Andrew Enwiya to ground out to third to end the rally.
- Down to its final out after being in danger of a run-rule in the bottom of the seventh, the Evangels refused to go away. With two outs, Reed kept the game alive with a single through the right side, moving Devon Villanueva to second. Andrew Enwiya came to the plate and sent a deep ball over that just barely got over the left-center field fence for a three-run homer, making it a 12-5 game.
- In the bottom of the eighth, MACU continued to chipped away at the Rams lead. Following a George Gallardo lead-off single, Yan Ely Adames put two more runs across off a two-run jack with a screaming liner off the bat, closing the deficit to 12-7. MACU scored one more run later in the inning on a balk by Jaxson Ingram bringing home Julian Martinez to make it 12-8.
- After another Reed infield single put runners at the corners with two outs, the Rams went to their closer David Theriot as he was able to get Enwiya to pop out to first to keep MACU from coming any closer.
- Ryan Harney managed to get off to a strong start against Texas Wesleyan, allowing just one run through the first two innings, but the MACU starting pitcher got roughed up in the third and fourth innings, ending his line with three innings pitched, nine earned runs on seven hits with no walks, two hits batters and a strikeout.
- Maycin Smotherman came in relief in the fifth inning and cruised his way through the Rams lineup the rest of the game. Smotherman tallied a season-best five innings pitched and didn't allow a single hit to one of the best offensive teams in the NAIA as he issued just one baserunner on a walk to go with a season-high five strikeouts.
- With the defeat, Mid-America Christian was swept in a three or more game series for the only time this season and fell to Texas Wesleyan for the 14th straight time. With the sweep, Texas Wesleyan clinched the Sooner Athletic Conference regular season title.
UP NEXT
- Mid-America Christian will now prepare for postseason play as the Evangels will play at either Jim Wade Stadium at Oklahoma City or Bill Smith Ballpark in Chickasha, Oklahoma in SAC Tournament. Pairings will be announced on Monday.
