SAN ANTONIO – The No. 17 ACU softball team recorded their first victory by run rule Sunday morning when they took out Incarnate Word 12-0 in five innings on the final day of the St. Mary's Classic. The Wildcats bats came alive as five players recorded multi hit games as the defense for ACU shutout the Cardinals.
Junior Kim White threw five scoreless innings for the Wildcats as she has put together a streak of eight scoreless innings on the season. White was followed the lead set by freshmen Shelby Hall and junior Jacque Gregoire on Saturday as she only allowed three base runners on two hits and a walk. She also struck out two as opponents are batting .080 in her two early outings.
The Wildcats who were playing as the visitors got on the board in the top of the first as Melissa Mendoza continued her hot pace with a single to left to lead off the inning. ACU pushed Mendoza around on a sacrifice bunt by Shawna Barrow and was driven in by Nancy Sawyers when she singled to left.
Mendoza was outstanding in the leadoff spot as she went 4 for 4 again giving her 13 hits on the weekend. She improved her average to .650 over the three days and added seven runs scored and four doubles.
In the top of the third the Wildcats added three more runs when Brianna Fowlkes homered for her first of the season.
The Wildcats then added four runs in the fourth inning when Mendoza reached on a s single and scored her second run of the day when Sawyers ground out drove her in. Jenny Kulp also had a hot tournament as she hit her third double of the weekend of the outfield wall driving in Barrow who had reached on an error. ACU scored two more runs when Andi Anti singled in Kulp and scored herself when Candice Miller had the second double off the wall of the inning.
ACU added one more run in the top of the fifth on a Kulp single driving in Mendoza. Kulp, Sawyers, Mendoza, and Miller all had two or more hits and two RBIs on the day. Fowlkes led the Wildcats with her three RBIs.
The Wildcats finished the weekend 3-2 as they got great defense and pitching all weekend as all four pitchers held opponents under a .300 average. Senior third basemen, Sawyers also started off the season as she had four RBIs and a double hitting .500 over the three days. Also senior centerfielder Caitlin Nabors hit over .400 with two runs scored. Transfers Stephanie Tingle and Shawna Barrow also made an impact as both hit .313 and Barrow is tied for the lead in RBIs with four.
ACU returns to action on Tuesday as they travel to Wichita Falls for a double header against Midwestern State. Also next weekend the Wildcats will host the CBS Insurance Classic as the round robin tournament runs Friday and Saturday.
