Box Score
Wayland Baptist scored six unearned runs in the sixth inning and went on to hold off McMurry for a 7-4 win at Driggers Field Tuesday afternoon. McMurry starter Grayson Lee (Pflugerville/Pflugerville H.S.) recorded two outs in the top of the fifth inning before two errors and two hits extended the inning and McMurry lost its 3-1 lead for good.
The streak is over for all-American third baseman Derek David (Richmond/B.F. Terry H.S.). Despite a 2 for 5 performance with two runs scored, the senior's consecutive game streak with a home run ended at seven. The streak set an NCAA Division III record and tied the NCAA Division II record; he needed one more to tie the NCAA Division I record of eight.
Even still, David is the NCAA Division III record holder and he extended his hitting streak to 12 games and he earned his second-straight American Southwest Conference West Division Player of the Week award Monday.
Lee was lifted in the fifth inning after the two blunders and two hits that allowed six runs to cross with two outs. However, Lee's only earned run came in the second inning and he finished with 4.2 innings pitched, seven hits, seven runs (one earned), four walks and a strikeout. The loss moved the senior lefthander to 1-1 on the season.
Adrian Gaona (North Richland Hills/Northlake College) and Derek McBride (Centennial, Colo./Cherry Creek H.S.) combined for the final 4.1 innings and didn't allow another run. Gaona threw 2.1 innings allowing just one hit and struck out one. McBride tossed two innings of scoreless relief allowing two hits and striking out a hitter.
The Pioneers pitching staff kept McMurry's offense in check all game. Other than starter Chris Nettles who gave up three of McMurry's runs, WBU used four pitchers from the bullpen and allowed just one run over the final five innings.
Shea Clark picked up the victory in relief while Todd Jeffress picked up his second save of the season. Nettles struck out five, while Clark, Gary Gates, Mario Canales and Jeffress struck out two apiece in the win. All in all McMurry hitters struck out 13 times and left 12 runners on base.
Senior George Whitten (Arlington Heights, Ill.) had three hits and an RBI while Stephen Derrick (Cedar Park/Navarro JC) drove in a run on two hits.
The NAIA WBU Pioneers improved to 30-5-1 on the year while McMurry fell to 20-13. McMurry will play host to Howard Payne Friday and Saturday. The teams will play a single nine-inning game Friday and a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.
