ABILENE – The ACU Wildcats rallied for four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning Friday as they opened the 2012 season with a 12-10 win over Arkansas Tech at Crutcher Scott Field.
The Wildcats (1-0) and Wonder Boys (0-1) will be back at it Saturday at 2:05 p.m. with a doubleheader. The series will conclude Sunday with a single game at 1:35 p.m.
Friday's opener was sloppy for both teams as they combined for 23 hits, 10 walks and four hit by pitch between the two pitching staffs and a combined eight errors (five on Arkansas Tech).
ACU led 4-1 and 5-4 before the Wonder Boys got four runs in the fourth to take an 8-5 lead. ACU cut it to 8-7 with two runs in the fourth before Tech pushed two more across for a 10-7 lead after six innings.
But ACU got a run back in the seventh when
Ryan Luckie scored on a wild pitch, and then set about winning the season-opener in the bottom of the eighth.
Freshman
Tyler Eager of Fort Worth Christian – who was sensational in his collegiate debut, collecting three hits in four at-bats, drawing a walk, scoring three runs and driving in a pair – led off the eighth with a double to center. New shortstop
Travis Schuetze then walked before
Kyle Conwell struck out for the first out of the inning.
Another newcomer,
Rodge Macy, then tied an ACU single-game record with his second triple of the day, driving in Eager and Schuetze with the game-tying runs. New second baseman
Chuck Duarte then gave the Wildcats the lead for good with a single to left-center to plate Macy to make it 11-10.
After
Ryan Luckie grounded out, Duarte scored when
Duncan Blades reached on a throwing error by the third baseman to make it 12-10.
New ACU closer
Josh Stone worked around a leadoff walk and an error to pick up the save. He coaxed Drew Stanton to hit into a game-ending double play to preserve the victory.
Macy finished with three hits and three RBI, while Durate had two hits and two runs scored.
Brady Rodriguez picked up the win with two innings of one-hit baseball, while Stone worked the ninth for the save.
