Baseball holds down Rust, stays unbeaten in GCAC play
The Wiley University baseball team overcame early deficits to win the first and third games and blasted five home runs to take the second game in 8-4, 25-13 and 8-7 victories over Rust College on Saturday and Sunday at Airport Park.
The Wildcats (14-13, 9-0 GCAC) extend their season-long winning streak to 11 games, improving to 9-5 at home. It's the second and third time they've won in the last inning.
SATURDAY
GAME 1
Ryan Ready went 4-for-5 with two runs and five RBI. His biggest hit was his last one - a walk-off grand slam in the eighth inning. He hit an RBI double in the fifth, which cut the margin to one. He tied the game by scoring on a wild pitch. Jacob Perez hit an RBI double in the fifth and scored three runs. Eddie Garza had a hit and scored two runs.
Wiley fell behind in the first after allowing three runs on three hits and an error. It got a run back as Perez reached on an error and later scored on a passed ball. Isaac Burciaga held Rust scoreless in the second with Brendan Mendoza throwing out a runner stealing second. The Wildcats weren't able to get on the board.
Rust (8-22, 4-5 GCAC) added a run in the third on two doubles. Burciaga held them scoreless in the fourth and fifth innings. He struck out six batters in five innings.
Garza led off the fifth by getting hit by a pitch and scored on Perez's double. After Ready's double scored Perez, he tagged up on Ivan Del Villar's fly ball to center - putting him in position to score on the wild pitch.
Nick Rodriguez took over in the sixth. He struck out the first two batters and got one to fly out. The Wildcats were unable to score. Allan Mendoza pinch hit and got an infield single but was thrown out trying to steal second. Garza hit a double but the inning ended on a pop-up.
Rodriguez retired the first two batters in the seventh. A walk and single extended the inning. He kept the game tied with a strikeout. Ready singled but his pinch runner was stranded at second, forcing extra innings.
After allowing a leadoff walk, Rodriguez threw the runner out at second on a bunt. Devin Tallington flied out to Woodard who threw out Rodriguez at first to complete a double play.
Woodard led off the eighth with a walk. He advanced on Abel Rodriguez's sacrifice bunt. Garza was intentionally walked to set up a force at every base. After a passed ball, Perez reached on an intentional walk to load the bases - setting up Ready's walk-off. It's the first walk-off home run for the Wildcats since 2015.
Nick Rodriguez picked up his second victory. In three innings, he only allowed a hit, two walks and struck out three.
GAME 2
The Wildcats pounded Rust College's pitchers with 25 runs on 18 hits. After ending the first game with a grand slam, Ready hit his second home run of the series in the first inning, which trimmed the margin to one. Ivan Del Villar put Wiley in front with a two-run home run to center, scoring Jhan Carlos Javier, who singled.
Wiley broke the game open in the fourth inning with three home runs and 11 runs. Woodard brought home a run by being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Caidin Franklin followed, hitting a grand slam that sailed over the left-center field wall for his first career home run. Jacob Perez hit his first home run of the season, with a two-run blast over the left-center field wall. Del Villar recorded his second multi-home run game of the season, as he drilled a pitch over the right-center field wall.
Javier recorded two hits and scored three runs. Ready had two hits and scored three runs. Perez went 2-for-4 with a run and three RBI. Tyson Minter came in for Perez and tallied two hits, scored a run and drove in two. Amir Mason went 2-for-4 with two runs and an RBI. Del Villar went 2-for-3 with three runs and four RBI.
Keyon Guillory won his third straight start. He struck out three batters in four innings. Only two of the five runs he allowed were earned. Josiah Jackson pitched the last 1 2/3 innings and struck out three.
SUNDAY
GAME 3
Seniors Franklin, Donovan Rice and Albert Thurston II were honored before the game and were in the starting lineup. Thurston made the most of his second start of the season. He went 4-for-4 and drove in three runs. His last hit was a walk-off double in the seventh to complete the sweep.
The Wildcats fell behind 5-0 after the top of the second. They allowed a two-out two-run home run in the first. Four walks and two balks led to three runs in the second. Jalen Porter was only able to pitch 1 2/3 innings as he struggled to get calls. Nick Rodriguez came in and got a ground ball to end the inning. He held Rust scoreless in the next three innings. In 4 1/3 innings, he only allowed two runs with one earned on two hits, walked one and struck out six.
Wiley got on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Javier led off with a single and advanced on Woodard's ground ball to third. A passed ball advanced Woodard to second. Thurston scored both runners with a single to left. With one out in the fifth, Minter singled and stole second. Ready walked. Javier hit a ball down the left field line for a double - scoring Minter and Ready. With two outs, Javier stole third and scored to tie the game on an errant throw by the catcher.
Rust reclaimed the lead in the sixth with two runs on a hit and an error. Jackson took over in the seventh and struck out the first two batters he faced. He retired the last hitter with a groundball to third.
Ready led off the seventh by being hit by a pitch. Ajari Camp pinch-ran for him. Javier tied the game with a two-run blast to left for his seventh home run of the season. Del Villar was hit by a pitch. Julian Rosales pinch-ran and advanced to second on Woodard's sacrifice bunt, which set up Thurston's game-winning hit.
The Wildcats will wrap their homestand on Tuesday against Southwestern Assemblies of God University.
For more coverage on the Wildcats visit Baseball - Wiley University (wileyathletics.com)
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