Wayland outslugs Hounds

Freedom New Mexico

PLAINVIEW, Texas — First baseman Josh Lucas and right fielder Franky Busani combined to drive in 11 runs Wednesday, and Wayland Baptist belted five home runs in notching a 16-6 non-league win over the Eastern New Mexico University baseball team.

Lucas went 3-for-3 with a home run, a walk, a sacrifice fly and six RBIs while Busani tripled and hit two home runs, driving in five, as the Pioneers (26-10) pounded out 16 hits and ended the game on the 10-run rule in the bottom of the seventh.

The teams were slated to play home-and-home doubleheaders in early February. They split games at ENMU on Feb. 6 while the twin bill at Plainview two days later was rained out.

The teams will make up the other game of the rainout in Plainview on April 21.

Wayland Baptist broke a 1-1 tie with a five-run third, keyed by Busani’s two-run triple and a two-run homer by catcher Oscar Rivera. ENMU (19-18) got close with a four-run fifth, pulling to 7-6 when senior Freddy Carmona belted his fifth homer of the season, a three-run shot to left field off Trevor Stringer.

Lucas whacked a three-run homer in the sixth off junior Garrett Cook, an infielder pressed into mound duty for the first time this season by the Greyhounds’ recent heavy schedule. Cook took over with three runs already across in the bottom of the third and pitched effectively until the sixth, striking out five with no walks in four innings.

Wayland ended the game with five runs in the bottom of the seventh off Tyler Doughty, most of the damage coming with two outs. Brett Cook hit a two-run homer, Lucas delivered an RBI single and Busani ended the game with a two-run homer to right-center.

ENMU returns to Lone Star Conference action this weekend with doubleheaders at Southwestern Oklahoma on Friday and Saturday.