EDMOND, Okla. – The ACU Wildcats split a Lone Star Conference doubleheader against Central Oklahoma on Saturday, winning the first game 7-5 before dropping a 15-13 decision at Wendell Simmons Field.
The split leaves the Wildcats at 19-14 overall and 12-9 in the LSC, while the Bronchos are 12-20 and 7-17. ACU will return to action next weekend (April 8-9) when it hosts Eastern New Mexico in a three-game set at Crutcher Scott Field.
The Wildcats are now in seventh place in the LSC standings with 12 conference games remaining. ACU is one game out of fifth place, which is currently occupied by Cameron and West Texas A&M, both of which are currently 13-8 in conference play.
In the first game on Saturday, the Wildcats jumped out to a 4-0 lead and never trailed in picking up their sixth straight conference victory. In the second inning, the Wildcats scored three times without the benefit of a hit to grab a 4-0 lead.
ACU tacked on single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to hang on for the victory.
Brent Bray (3-1) got the start and went four innings, giving up just four hits and two runs before giving ay to
Sky Valenzuela for 1 2/3 innings and
Zach Sneed, who went the final 1 1/3 innings for his first save.
In the nightcap, the Wildcats railed 7-4 before blowing up for eight runs in the fifth inning to take a 12-7 lead.
Will Calhoun and
Cameron Watten each had two-run doubles that sparked the big inning for the Wildcats.
But once again the Wildcats' achilles heel in 2011 – its bullpen – couldn't hang on as the Bronchos scored fourth in the bottom of the fifth and four more in the bottom of the eighth to pull ahead.
Brady Rodriquez gave up four runs in the fifth and Sneed gave up four in the eight as the Wildcats gave up the lead. ACU went down in order in the top of the ninth after the Bronchos had taken the lead for good in the bottom of the eight.
