Wildcats finish off sweep

Sunday, February 7

Abilene

12:35 pm

Abilene Christian

Harding

2/7/2010 6:57:26 PM | Baseball

ABILENE -- ACU completed its four-game season-opening sweep of Harding University on Sunday with a pair of wins, including a late-inning rally for the win in the second game at Crutcher Scott Field.

The 13th-ranked Wildcats (4-0) won the first game, 8-2, before rallying for two runs in the bottom of the sixth to take the nightcap, 4-2. Cameron Bankston -- who drove in the game-winning run and threw out the game-tying run at the plate to end Saturday night's nightcap -- had the game-winning RBI double in the bottom of the sixth of the Wildcats' win in the nightcap.

The Wildcats will be back in action Tuesday afternoon in Fort Worth when they take on NAIA powerhouse Texas Wesleyan. ACU will open Lone Star Conference action next weekend with a four-game home series against Central Oklahoma.

In Sunday's nightcap, the Wildcats jumped on top 2-0 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first and then turned the game over to starting pitcher Aaron Lambrix. The transfer pitcher pitched five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out five batters.

But Cameron Watten and Josh Crockett combined to give up a pair of hits and two runs in the sixth as the Bison were able to tie the game at 2-2. ACU closer Brad Rutherford came into the game with two outs and the bases loaded, but he got a fielder's choice groundout to end the inning and send the game to the bottom of the inning tied, 2-2.

With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Bret Bochsler reached on an error before Bankston drove him in with the go-ahead run with an RBI double to left field. Steve Camillucci then drove in Bankston with an RBI single up the middle to give the Wildcats an insurance run.

With one out and one on in the top of the seventh, Rutherford struck out of the final two batters to end the game as he picked up his first win of the season.

In the first game, the Wildcats jumped on top early with three runs in the first, two in the second and one in the third. Travis Latz hadn RBI single to get the scoring started, while Will Calhoun had a two-run single.

In the second, Latz drove in two more runs with a two-run double to left field. Abe Williams had an RBI single in the third. Williams put the finishing touches on the scoring with a two-run double in the fifth.

Zach Sneed gave up four hits and two runs in five innings of work to pick up the win for the Wildcats.