ABILENE – ACU got two strong pitching performances on Saturday afternoon from
Brady Rodriguez and
Brent Bray to take the final two games of a Lone Star Conference Series from Eastern New Mexico winning, 5-2 to force the rubber game and takings the finale, 8-4 at Crutcher Scott Field.
The Wildcats improve to 21-15 with the wins and 15-10 in conference play while the Greyhounds struggles against ACU continue falling to 9-24 on the season and 6-18 in the LSC. ACU continues action at home with a non-conference nine inning game on Tuesday against in-region opponent St. Mary's.
ACU jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in game one when
Duncan Blades led off the game with his second home run of the year, a line drive down the left field line. From there both starting pitchers would keep the bats quiet until the fourth inning when Eastern New Mexico got on the board.
The Greyhounds got a triple from Joe Jones to tie the game at 1-1 on a ball that hugged the right field line to the corner.
Blades, who went 2-for-3 on the day, would single in fifth scoring
Ian Tomkins to break the tie. Just one batter later
Sky Valenzuela would hit a long home run to left field giving the Wildcats a three-run advantage and a 4-1 lead.
Zach Sneed would pitch the final two innings in relief of Bray for his third save of the season. Sneed allowed a run in the sixth which was unearned, but would pitch a perfect seventh.
Bray worked one of his better outings of the year going five strong while only allowing one run. He also struck out one and walked one to improve to 4-1 on the year.
Brady Rodriguez would follow up Bray's strong performance with arguably his best start of the season going 6.1 innings to pick up a no-decision. Rodriguez scattered eight hits while allowing three runs and striking out two.
Abe Williams backed up Rodriguez's work on the mound going 4-for-4 at the plate as he doubled to lead off the second inning and scored on an
Ian Tomkins single to put ACU on the board. Williams would double in the third inning to extend the Wildcats lead to 4-0.
ENMU would battle back to score a run in the fourth and then single runs in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings to tie the game at 4-4. However, JR Roland's only hit of the game, a two RBI double in the eighth to break the tie and give the Wildcats a 6-4 lead.
After Roland scored on a wild pitch
Cameron Bankston would give the Wildcats one final insurance run by scoring Tomkins. Tomkins and Bankston both had a pair of hits and an RBI in the finale.
Sneed again worked two innings of relief for the Wildcats earning the win to improve to 5-3 on the season.
