ABILENE – The Abilene Christian softball team begins the final week of its regular season Wednesday night with the conclusion of its series with Angelo State followed by a three-game weekend series against a red-hot side from Midwestern State that's won its last 10 games.
ACU and ASU were to have met Tuesday night, but the game was moved to 7 p.m. Wednesday due to potential weather concerns in the area.
The Wildcats (27-22, 11-12 LSC) have swept their previous two weekend series against Cameron and Eastern New Mexico, but in between dropped both ends of a doubleheader last Tuesday in San Angelo, falling by scores of 6-2 and 5-1. ACU led the Rambelles early in each game; however, it didn't take long for the preseason favorites to rally as they scored six straight runs in game one and later snapped a 1-1 tie in game two with a four-run sixth inning.
From there, the Wildcats visited Portales, N.M. and put on an offensive clinic in game one at the Zia Softball Field, scoring a single-game record 25 runs on 17 hits and 24 RBI. Individual highlights included
Cara Hoover's pinch-hit grand slam,
Madison Buckley's five RBI, and
Sara Vaughn's 3-for-3 performance, which included a home run, four runs, four RBI and three walks.
The next two games proved to be a bit more competitive even though ACU jumped out to a 10-3 lead by the sixth inning of game two before having to hold on, 10-8, as the Zias scored five times in their half of the seventh. Game one starter
Caitlyn Crain was called in from the bullpen to save game two, and she did so in dramatic fashion, striking out the Zias' No. 1 and 2 hitters on eight pitches.
Crain went on to deliver 7.0 solid innings in game three and earned the win after stranding runners at first and second. She also was helped by Vaughn's two-out solo home run that broke a 2-2 tie in the sixth.
Crain's totals from the weekend at Eastern New Mexico included two wins, a save, 12 strikeouts and a 0.55 ERA. The Fort Worth native is 4-1 with two saves and 23 strikeouts over her last seven appearances dating back to the start of the Cameron series.
On offense, the Wildcats hit .391 at Eastern and outscored the Zias 38-10 on the strength of nine home runs. Also homering last weekend for ACU were
Courtney Flanary,
Lyndi Smith,
Taylor Fitzgerald,
Anna Jones and
Keanna Winkfield. Jones and Winkfield's round-trippers were the first of their ACU careers.
Angelo State (30-15, 15-8 LSC), meanwhile, is coming off a series win vs. Tarleton State, which moved them a half-game behind Midwestern State for third-place in the conference and 3.0 games behind co-leaders West Texas A&M and Texas Woman's.
Kacie Easley (.390) and Rachel Moore (.389) have been ASU's top hitters this season, while Sandra Serna is the Rambelles' top pitcher with an 18-5 record and 2.69 ERA. Easley broke ASU's home record last weekend vs. the TexAnns and currently has 40 for her career.
Midwestern State (38-12, 15-7 LSC) will first look to extend its 10-game winning streak Wednesday afternoon at Cameron before coming to Abilene Friday. The Mustangs' streak started April 6 with a 14-13 win over then-No. 7 Texas Woman's and includes a pair of three-game sweeps of Tarleton State and Texas A&M-Kingsville.
MSU also beat Cameron 6-5 during this stretch and swept a doubleheader from Texas-Permian Basin.
The Mustangs go into this week hitting .369 as a team led by the power trio of Katelyn Vinson, Kelley Schaefer and Kim Jerrick, which has produced a combined 47 HR and 171 RBI.
In the circle, Midwestern State has received 22 wins and 117 strikeouts from Laci Belovsky, plus an additional 16 victories and 85 Ks from Katherine Batey.
Moment of Silence for Abby Burns
A moment of silence in memory of former Texas Woman's standout Abby Burns will take place prior to ACU's Wednesday night game vs. Angelo State. Burns passed away late Monday at the age of 23 after a brave two-year battle with leukemia. In 2010 she helped the Pioneers to 39 wins and a spot in the NCAA regional tournament.
Senior Day Saturday
Abilene Christian seniors
Caitlyn Crain,
Shelby Hall,
Sara Vaughn and
Keanna Winkfield will all be recognized prior to the start of Saturday's noon doubleheader vs. Midwestern State.
Crain, Vaughn and Winkfield joined the Wildcats prior to the 2012 season and were key contributors in leading the Wildcats back to the NCAA postseason behind an overall record of 30-18. All three made last season's all-conference team, while Winkfield went on to receive all-region honors.
Hall has been with the Wildcats since her freshman year of 2010 and has made the last two Lone Star Conference all-academic teams in 2011 and 2012. She also was recognized last fall as a NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete and has been accepted into the Texas Tech University School of Law.
Hall has totaled 101 appearances for ACU as both a starter and reliever. She's won 32 of those games, struck out 168 batters, and is one victory away from matching her career season high of 10 – which she attained in 2010.
