PLAINVIEW, Texas (March 7, 2016) – Pioneers pitcher Paxton Bartley took advantage of his first start of the season, going six innings and holding No.6 Lubbock Christian University to one hit over the span, as Wayland Baptist University used a five-run fifth inning to defeat LCU 8-5 Monday night at Wilder Field.
 
Bartley, who had eight prior relief outings, was shaky at the start, with a walk, balk and wild pitch leading to Jaime Bustamante scoring for a 1-0 LCU lead. A walk to Brandon Rix in the fourth inning was followed by an error on a dropped fly ball resulting in Rix scoring for a 2-0 LCU lead. Bartley walked four and threw two wild pitches, but he settled down enough to strike out six batters and did not allow a hit to the last 20 batters he faced. He improved to 3-0 on the season.
 
He was supported by a five-run fifth inning with the score tied 2-2. The first five batters reached and was part of a four-hit inning. Two of the runs scored on a Jake Doyle single. LCU committed four errors in the game and two came in the fifth inning to prolong the inning.
 
Dillon Drury hit a solo home run in the seventh inning for his second homer of the season and it cut the LCU deficit to 7-3. Two errors in the eighth inning led to Wayland improving their lead to 8-3 and it made a comeback bid tougher in the ninth inning. Drury and Brandon Urquizo each had hits in the ninth inning and a two-run double by Bustamante, all with two outs, made things interesting, but Kevin Torres came in and claimed a strike out to close the game with a one-out save.
 
Albert Aveytia (1-3) suffered the loss on the bump for LCU. He went four innings and allowed seven runs (five earned) off 11 hits. Ricky Contreras pitched the rest of the way, holding the Pioneers to one hit over four innings.
 
Gregg Veneklasen led all players with a three-hit performance (3-for-4). Doyle led WBU with two RBI. Bustamante led LCU with two RBI and they received a 2-for-4 performance at the plate from Drury.
 
LCU had their three-game win streak end with the loss and fell to 13-4. WBU improved to 21-4.  The Chaps now head into their Heartland Conference opener Friday with a doubleheader at Newman in Wichita, Kan.