SAN ANTONIO – ACU split a doubleheader this afternoon with St. Mary's as the Rattlers took game one, 8-4. The Wildcats responded in the second game as they won the night cap, 4-1.
In the first game the Wildcats were hampered by four errors and 10 runners left on base as Shelby Hall (3-4) took her fourth loss of the season. Hall threw a complete game going six full innings giving up nine hits while allowing eight runs, however, only four runs were earned.
St. Mary's took the lead in the bottom of the first as they manufactured their first run on a ground out to the right side of the infield. ACU came back to take the lead in the top of the second when Shawna Barrow singled down the right field line scoring Jenny Kulp and Genevie Ramirez who walked and reached on an error.
Again in the bottom half of the second the Rattlers would regain the lead when Alyssa Alfaro scored after reaching via a walk. St. Mary's tallied their second run of the inning after Lia Provence's sacrifice bunt turned into a Wildcat error scoring Heather Monroe.
The Wildcats would fight back to score a single run in the third and fourth, but it was not enough. St. Mary's added three more insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth to make the final 8-4. Barrow continued her hot streak as she went 3 for 3 with two RBI a run scored and two stolen bases.
Shortstop Andi Anti returned for the first time after missing all of last weekend and the mid-week doubleheader with Midwestern State.
In the night cap junior Brittany Rexroat (2-1) picked up her second win as Hall entered the game in the seventh recording two outs for her first save of the season. Rexroat had her best start of the season as she scattered 10 hits over 6.1 innings only allowing one run and two walks. She also struck out five Rattlers on the day.
ACU again left 10 runners however this time it was St. Mary's who committed four errors as they also left nine runners on base. The Wildcats got timely hitting from Kulp who was 2 for 2 with two outs including a two out homerun to centerfield in the top of the seventh to give ACU a 4-1 win.
Kulp's first RBI came in the third as she scored Stephanie Tingle on a sacrifice fly to center giving ACU an early 1-0 lead. Kulp would again come through in the fifth when she laced a two out double down the left field line scoring Anti and Sawyers who had singled and walked.
St. Mary's would get their lone run in the top of the sixth when Flores homered to lead off the inning. In the top of the seventh ACU would respond when Kulp blasted her homerun to center.
The Wildcats had four players who recorded two hits in the second game as Missy Mendoza, Tingle, and Anti all had two hits. Kulp was the other player with a pair of hits as she also scored a run and had all four of the Wildcats RBI.
Barrow also saw her team high eight game hitting streak come to an end in the second game. Although, Barrow did have two stolen bases in the first game and is a perfect 10-10 on the season.
ACU will take on St. Edward's tomorrow afternoon in Austin as the two teams will meet-up for a pair of games with the first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m.
