Baseball sweeps Philander Smith in HBCUAC Opener
TATUM, Texas - The defending Gulf Coast Athletic Conference regular season champion Wiley University baseball team began its title defense with a sweep over Philander Smith University with 11-1, 8-7 and 7-3 victories Saturday and Sunday at Tatum Eagle Park.
With the wins, the Wildcats extend their winning streak to six games. They sweep their conference-opening series for the third consecutive season. It's the second straight season, they've swept Philander Smith University.
SATURDAY
GAME 1
Wiley took the lead in the first inning and didn't give it up. Eddie Garza led off with a walk and stole second. Jacob Perez brought him home with a single and advanced to second on a bobble by Philander's left fielder Chandler Morrow. A fly ball by Ryan Ready and a ground ball by Ivan Del Villar scored Perez.
After giving up a run in the third, the Wildcats bounced back with three in the fourth. Jhan Carlos Javier and Kai Woodard walked. Brendan Mendoza brought home Javier with a single. Woodard scored on an error. Ryan Clark, who courtesy ran for Mendoza scored on a sacrifice fly by Garza.
Wiley put the game away in the seventh inning. Perez led off with an infield single and advanced to third on a throwing error by Elliot Sheppard. He scored on a ground ball by Ready, who advanced to second on the throw home. A single by Anthony Castaneda and a ground ball by Javier scored Ready. Woodard and Mendoza provided the finishing touches with two-RBI doubles.
Mendoza went 2-for-3 with three RBI. Perez went 2-for-3, scored two runs and drove one in. Ivan Del Villar hit his third home run in the fifth inning. Abel Rodriguez also got a base hit.
Keyon Guillory picked up his third win and second complete game. He recorded his second double-digit strikeout performance with 10. Guillory only allowed one run on one hit.
SUNDAY
GAME 2
The Wildcats (9-4, 3-0 HBCUAC) overcame a four-run deficit and Ajari Camp walked it off with a two-RBI double in the bottom of the eighth.
Isaac Burciaga made his fourth start but could not contain the Panthers, giving up six runs (five earned) on five hits, five walks and one hit batter in 4 1/3 innings. Philander Smith took a four-run lead in the third inning with three hits, two walks and an error.
Wiley cut the lead in half with Garza's ground ball to short to score Castaneda, who walked and advanced on an error and an RBI single by Armand Daigre. The Panthers answered in the fifth and scored two runs off two walks and a double. Juan Pena relieved Burciaga and got a strikeout and flyout to end the inning.
Perez and Ready led off the fifth with base hits. Javier hit a ground ball to Philander Smith shortstop Shawn Hall, who threw the ball past the second baseman into right-center field. Perez scored on the throwing error and Ready and Javier advanced into scoring position. Jaziel Martinez scored Ready with a sacrifice fly. An RBI double by Woodard and an RBI single by Daigre tied the game at six.
Wiley had a chance to walk it off in the seventh. Woodard led off with a single and Camp pinch ran for him. He stole second and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Daigre. Camp was thrown out at home trying to score on Cindo's ground ball to third.
Pena retired the first two batters in the eighth but allowed Cameron Russey to hit a two-out double. Elijah Cook courtesy ran, advanced to third and scored on a passed ball, just beating Martinez's tag. Ready and Javier led off with walks. Martinez hit a bunt single to load the bases. Camp hit the ball up the middle to bring home Clark, who pinch ran for Ready, and Javier as the throw home fell short.
Woodard went 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs and an RBI. Ready went 3-for-4 with a run. Daigre went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Perez and Abel Rodriguez also got hits.
Pena earned his first win after limiting the Panthers to an unearned run on three hits and struck out three.
GAME 3
Wiley took control early. Ready was hit by a pitch with two outs in the first. Del Villar singled and Javier brought home Ready with a single to right. Castaneda increased the lead to three with his first home run over the left field wall in the second inning. Rodriguez hit a ball over Philander Smith's second baseman's head for a double. He scored on Perez's sacrifice fly to center, giving the Wildcats a four-run lead.
The Panthers (0-6, 0-3 HBCUAC) answered with a run in the third on two hits. Javier singled with one out and stole second. Woodard brought him home with a hard-hit line drive that went off of third baseman Miles Hawkins' glove. Wiley padded its lead in the sixth. Garza and Perez singled with two outs and scored when the shortstop failed to secure the catch.
Javier and Woodard both went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Seven of Wiley's nine starters scored runs. The Wildcats outhit the Panthers 9-6 and benefited from two walks, two hit batters and an error. Nick Rodriguez picked up his third win with seven strikeouts.
The Wildcats will visit Texas Wesleyan University on Monday for a 1 p.m. game. The Rams improved to 12-3 after salvaging a split against Park-Gilbert University. Wiley split against Texas Wesleyan last season.
For more coverage on the Wildcats visit https://wileyathletics.com/sports/bsb/index
About Wiley University Athletics
Wiley University sponsors 12 varsity sports, women's volleyball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's indoor track and field, men's and women's outdoor track and field and baseball. It competes in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Athletic Conference (HBCUAC) and the Continental Athletic Conference for men's and women's soccer.
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