SAN ANTONIO – The 25th-ranked ACU Wildcats opened Lone Star Conference play Friday by splitting a doubleheader against Incarnate Word at Cardinal Field.
The Wildcats rallied for five runs in their final three at-bats to win the opener, 5-2, but dropped the second game, 4-1. The Wildcats and Cardinals will conclude the three-game series at noon Saturday. ACU enters that game at 13-3 overall and 1-1 in the league, while Incarnate Word enters at 10-5 and 1-1.
ACU trailed in the first game, 2-0, before scoring three runs in the fifth to take the lead, and then single runs in the sixth and seventh to pull away for the win.
Caitlyn Crain – who on Thursday was named the national Pitcher of the Week – scattered five hits over seven innings to pick up the win and improve to 6-0 on the season.
In the third,
Madison Buckley had an RBI single and
Keanna Winkfield doubled in two runs to put the Wildcats in front, 3-2.
Courtney Flanary then drove in a run in the sixth with an RBI single, and
Sara Vaughn hit a solo home run in the seventh to close out the scoring.
In the nightcap, Incarnate Word scored two runs in the third and two more in the fourth, and those were enough against ACU sophomore pitcher
Peyton Mosley, who scattered nine hits over six innings to take the loss and drop to 4-3.
UIW rightfielder had the biggest hit in the game with a two-run home run in the third inning.
ACU got a runner on base in the fourth without scoring, and left the bases loaded in the sixth after scoring its lone run of the game.
Kimberly Briggs drove in a run on a groundout, but with two outs to play with, the Wildcats couldn't get another run across.
