PLAINVIEW, Texas – McMurry University's five-game win streak came to a rough end on Tuesday afternoon, as Wayland Baptist overcame a 10-run deficit in the final few innings to defeat the War Hawks 18-14 in Plainview, Texas.
The War Hawks – who have scored at least eight runs in their last six games – produced a new season high for runs scored with 14 despite the loss.
McMurry (7-15) has also had double-digit hits in four of the last five games – finishing with 15 today. All nine starters had at least one hit in the contest. WBU had 23 hits.
Despite trailing 13-3 through five innings, Wayland Baptist (20-16) fired back with five runs the next two innings and a 10 run frame in the eighth to take the lead. McMurry added a run in the ninth, but could not answer the rally.
Reigning American Southwest Conference Hitter of the Week Mike Gonzales led the team by going 4-for-6 with a pair of doubles. Senior Sam Hillyer and junior Christian Oliver added two hits each, including one homer each. The pair combined for five RBI.
Senior Javier Rosa drove home four runs, three off a home run and one on a sacrifice fly.
McMurry wasted no time going to work on the road, posting four runs in the opening frame. Gonzales ripped a one-out double for the first hit and he later scored on a Josh De La Rosa two-run double.
With De La Rosa standing on second, senior Sam Hillyer jacked a two-run homer to left field to double the lead. Wayland Baptist trimmed it back down with two runs in its half of the first.
Both teams added runs in the fourth inning, with McMurry striking for three more on a two-run homer by Christian Oliver and a sac fly by Rosa. WBU made it 7-3 with an RBI single in the bottom half.
The War Hawks exploded in the fifth inning with six runs to take a commanding 13-3 lead, as Oliver drove home his third run of the game with an RBI single to start the run. With the bases loaded, freshman Blake Beach doubled to bring home Hillyer and Ryan Potter.
Two runners remained on following Beach's hit for Javier Rosa, who at this point was the only hitter lacking a hit in the lineup. Rosa remedied that quickly with a three-run homer to left-center field, extending the lead even more.
In the late innings, things took a turn for the worst as WBU worked back into the contest by the eighth inning. Trailing 13-10, WBU's Luis Vargas hit the go-ahead grand slam to put his team ahead for the first time in the contest. They added four more runs for insurance.
McMurry's ninth inning situation changed from a five-run lead to a five-run deficit. Working from behind, Mike Gonzales hit a one-out double to move Blake Beach over to third. Beach later scored on an errant throw by the catcher, but WBU pitcher Gloymer Cuevas recorded the final two outs for the win.
Pitchers of record:
W – Gloymer Cuevas (2-0)
L – Reid Brock (0-1)
The War Hawks return to conference play on Friday, April 9 at Concordia Texas, opening the three-game set with a 4 p.m. doubleheader. The series concludes Saturday April 10 at noon in Austin.
