ABILENE – A reeling ACU baseball team was swept Saturday afternoon as Cameron finished off the series sweep as well shutting out ACU, 7-0 in game one and taking game two 14-3 in eight innings in Lone Star Conference action at Crutcher Scott Field.
The Wildcats who have still not been mathematically eliminated now need help to reach the Lone Star Conference Tournament as they do not control their own fate. ACU falls to 23-21 on the season and 15-15 in South Division play as Cameron improved to 28-13 and 20-10 clinching their berth in LSC Tournament.
ACU will fail to win 30 games for the first time under
Britt Bonneau and their worst record since Bonneau's first season in 2007 in which the Wildcats still finished 34-22.
Cameron used two big innings to put ACU away in both games as they outscored the Wildcats 21-3 on the day and 30-9 over the three game series. Entering the weekend Cameron was the third best hitting team in the conference as their offense produced 28 hits compared to ACU with 15 hits on Saturday.
Both starting pitchers kept the Wildcats close as
Zach Sneed was dealt the loss going 5.1 innings allowing three runs (2 earned) and striking out four.
ACU threatened early again in game one, but left nine runners on base. Trailing only, 1-0 in the bottom of the third
Ian Tomkins hit a hard ball back up the middle that snagged by the Aggie pitcher in time to throw out
Sky Valenzuela at the plate.
Cameron Watten would follow with another hard hit ground ball to the shortstop, but would be retired leaving the bases loaded.
The final threat by ACU came in the sixth as they were just down 3-0 and a single by pinch hitter
Peter Goudeau pushed
Mark Bailey home, however Bailey came in standing up and was tagged out to end the inning.
The Aggies carried the momentum into the top of the seventh as they put the game away scoring four runs on four hits.
Game two saw starter
Cameron Watten pitch 4.2 innings to pick up a no-decision allowing two runs on seven hits. However, in the sixth inning the Aggies had six consecutive hits without an out being recorded by ACU allowed another big inning for Cameron as they broke the game open taking a 7-2 lead.
The Wildcats managed to scratch one run back in the bottom of the inning, but Cameron would plate two more in the seventh and five in the eighth to pull a run rule victory out in the eight.
JR Roland had a pair of hits in each game for ACU going 2-for-4 and 2-for-3 on the day.
ACU will wrap up the regular season next weekend at Southwestern Oklahoma need at least two wins and some help from Cameron and Tarleton State. The Wildcats and Bulldogs open their three game series on Friday and finish with a double header on Saturday.
