SAN ANTONIO -- Jacque Gregoire improved to 3-0 on the season Saturday as she led the Wildcats to a 4-1 win over Midwestern State as ACU split a pair of games on the final day of the St. Mary's Spring Invitational.
The Wildcats are now 3-2 on the season after the win over Midwestern State. Earlier in the day the Wildcats dropped a 4-3 decision to Cameron. ACU
will be back in action Thursday at 5 p.m. when it hosts nationally ranked St. Mary's at Wells Field in the first game of the CBS Insurance Classic.
In the win over the Lady Mustangs, Gregoire threw a complete-game five-hitter, giving up one unearned run and striking out one batter while not walking anyone.
She worked out of a jam in the second inning and gave up a run in the sixth, but other than that she didn't allow a runner past first base the entire day.
ACU's Katie Cornelison had three hits and one RBI, that coming in the first when her double drove in Jessica Shiery to make it 1-0. Cornelison scored in the fourth to make it 2-0, and that was all Gregoire needed.
Shiery capped the Wildcats' scoring in the fifth with a two-run home run to right-centerfield that plated Brooke Whittlesey in front of her.
In the first game of the day, the Wildcats jumped out to a 3-0 lead with two runs in the first and one in the third, but they couldn't hold that lead. Shelby McElvain led off the game with a solo home run, and Caitlin Nabors later scored on an RBI single by Cornelison.
Nabors made it 2-0 in the second when her single through the left side plated McElvain, who had doubled with two outs.
ACU hurt itself in the loss by leaving 11 runners on base, including leaving the bases loaded in the fourth and runners at first and second in the first and second innings.
Cameron got on the board in the second when Courtney Clifford singled to drive in Callie Schlatter, cutting the ACU lead to 3-1. Then in the third, Jenna Boren drove a three-run home run over the fence in left-centerfield to put the Lady Aggies on top, 4-3.
Both pitchers went the distance for each team with both pitching well. The Aggies' Ashton McBride allowed 10 hits, gave up three runs (two earned) walked three and struck out four to move to 1-1 on the season.
The Wildcats' Britney Benedict threw six innings in the loss, scattered eight hits, allowed four earned runs, walked a batter and struck out one.
McElvain finished the game with two runs and three hits while Nabors also had a mult-hit game for ACU.
The Wildcats had another chance in the fourth inning. ACU loaded the bases with one out, however, Cornelison reached on a fielder's choice but McBride threw home to get the force out, which saved the tying run. McBride struck out Nancy Sawyers to end the inning and it was the last real threat for the Wildcats.
