ABILENE – Abilene Christian's 19th-ranked softball team returns home to Poly Wells Field this weekend for a big series against Lone Star Conference rival Texas Woman's University, which will pit the league's top pitching team against one of its most dynamic offenses.
Games begin Friday at 5 p.m. and Saturday at 1 p.m.
The Pioneers arrive in Abilene with an overall record of 17-4 following Tuesday night's wins over Henderson State, and after sweeping Texas A&M-Kingsville last weekend, are one of three teams (with Angelo State and Tarleton State) tied for first place in the conference at 3-0.
The Wildcats, 14-3 overall, are a game behind the pack at 2-1 after winning their series at Incarnate Word.
Junior pitcher
Caitlyn Crain again was central to the Wildcats' success as she finished 2-0 vs. the Cardinals with three strikeouts and a 1.29 ERA through 14 innings. Crain is now 7-0 on the season and her 1.19 ERA is tops in the Lone Star Conference.
A transfer from Odessa College, Crain retired 11 of the final 13 batters she faced in game one, which allowed her teammates to rally from a 2-0 deficit. And then in game three, she didn't surrender her first hit until there were two outs in the sixth.
With a rotation bolstered by Crain, and veterans
Peyton Mosley and
Shelby Hall, Abilene Christian not only lead the conference with a 1.79 ERA, but its also allowed the fewest hits (110), walks (26), runs (42) and earned runs (30).
On offense the Wildcats are batting .287, which ranks them seventh of 10 teams, and have scored 82 runs on the strength of 39 extra-base hits. Junior
Kimberly Briggs continues to lead ACU with a .383 batting average, making her one of five Wildcat regulars to be hitting above .300. Following Briggs are
Madison Buckley (.368),
Keanna Winkfield (.339),
Lyndi Smith (.318), and
Sara Vaughn (.306).
Sophomore Bailey Vrazel, who was named Lone Star Conference Preseason Player of the Year in recognition of her base-stealing prowess, is one of the Pioneers' key players. The shortstop stole 74 bases on 77 attempts in 2011 to pace all collegiate softball players while setting a new Lone Star Conference single-season stolen base record. She also led the Pioneers in batting average (.423), runs (43) and hits (80 en route to earning several postseason distinctions, including the title of NFCA All-America.
Twenty-one games into this season, Vrazel appears to have picked up right where she left off as she currently ranks among the conference's top-five players in seven categories, including batting average (.466). She is also perfect in having stolen 35 bases in 35 attempts.
Texas Woman's has stolen 81 bases this season to lead the conference, while Midwestern State ranks a distant second with 32. ACU is third with 29, but at the same time has allowed only six thefts on eight attempts.
The Wildcats' fielding percentage of .966 is one percentage point behind league leader Incarnate Word; however, they've fielded the most double plays this year with 10.
Larisa Garcia and Katie Hines anchor TWU's pitching staff. Garcia is the conference leader with four saves and is third with 67 strikeouts. Hines ranks third with nine victories.
