ABILENE – Hits were plenty Friday evening as the Wildcats took the opening two games from East Central at Crutcher Scott Field. ACU won the first game 5-3 and overpowered the Tigers in game two winning 11-1 in 8 innings via the run-rule.
In total ACU collected 25 hits on the day, but the biggest was a sixth inning double from Willie Uechi that squeezed inside the third base bag rolling down the left field line. The hit was the 282nd for Uechi making him the all-time leader in hits at ACU and in the Lone Star Conference. He surpasses former ACU catcher Jordan Schmitt, who set the previous record just a year ago.
The Wildcats started the game by banging out six hits and four runs in the bottom of the second. Travis Latz led the inning off with a double down the left field line and would later score on a wild pitch. Clint Bowker would follow with a single and score on an Ian Tompkins single.
Bowker who transferred from East Central went 2 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored against his former team.
Bret Bochsler and Tompkins would score on singles from Chris Hall and Aaron Oliver to make the score 4-0.
East Central would chip back scoring two in the third and a single run in the fifth.
Starter Cameron Aspaas picked up his third win of the season as he gave up seven hits through four innings. The defense behind him was again solid as he only allowed two runs and struck out two.
Kevin Justice started the fifth inning for ACU as he could not find his way out of the inning. Justice was charged with the third run after giving up a single and two doubles. However, Josh Crocket finished the 1 2/3 without allowing a hit before handing the ball off to the Wildcats' closer Brad Rutherford.
Rutherford was just as solid as the rest of the bullpen as he only needed 12 pitches to record his third save of the season.
The nightcap started as a pitcher's duel as both teams went scoreless through four innings.
East Central opened the fifth with a lead-off single from Rainwater. However, the Tigers manufactured a runner over and Mac Grace scored on a Mat Wolf single giving ECU the early lead.
That was all the Wildcats would allow as ACU would come back adding two in the bottom of the inning. Catcher Abe Williams walked to lead-off and Hall followed with a blast to left field for his third homerun of the season.
The Wildcats were not done as they added two more in the sixth and two more in the seventh. Cameron Bankston pushed a perfect bunt past the pitcher's mound scoring Cameron Watten. Watten reached on a single that drove in Latz who started the inning with a single of his own.
The big inning for ACU came in the eighth as they scored five runs on four hits for the run-rule victory. The game winning run came when Watten nailed a 2 RBI single to center scoring Latz and Uechi to make the score 11-1.
ACU got another solid pitching performance from Zach Sneed who scattered nine hits over seven innings. His only run allowed was unearned and he added three strikeouts.
Crockett came in again pitching the top of the eighth as he allowed only two hits. However the Tigers were not able to move either runner as Crockett added a strikeout in his one inning of relief.
The No. 7 ranked Wildcats improve to 15-2 on the season and 8-2 in the LSC. Both teams will wrap up the series tomorrow at Crutcher Scott Field with another doubleheader as first pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.
