Wildcats Fall, 7-3, in Series Opener at West Texas

Friday, April 5

Canyon, TX

7 p.m.

Abilene Christian

21-13, 9-4

West Texas A&M

19-13, 6-7

Abilene Christian

West Texas A&M

Photo by: Gary Rhodes

Wildcats Fall, 7-3, in Series Opener at West Texas

4/5/2013 9:12:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

CANYON - West Texas A&M starter Dylan James followed his National Pitcher of the Week performance with a five-hit, complete game effort as the Buffaloes defeated the Wildcats, 7-3, in the series opener played Friday night at David and Myrt Wilder Field.

The victory lifted WT's season and Lone Star Conference records to 19-13 and 6-7, while the Wildcats fell to 21-13 and 9-4 to drop a game behind first-place Tarleton State, which thumped Incarnate Word tonight, 11-1.

WT jumped on ACU starter Jordon Herrera (5-2) for two runs in the first and three in the second to build a 5-1 advantage, and then after ACU cut the Buffalo lead to 5-2 in the sixth, WT's No. 9 hitter Tate Baker launched a two-run shot to left field - his fourth home run of the year - to give the home team a comfortable 7-2 lead.

James (2-1), meanwhile, recorded seven strikeouts tonight a week after punching out 14 Angelo State Rams, and was helped immeasurably by an infield defense that recorded 16 ground outs on a blustery evening in the panhandle.

ACU was limited to five hits, three of which came off the bat of Kyle Giusti. The third baseman homered to left in the second and singled to lead off the seventh, but was later erased on a double play. In the ninth, Giusti ripped a RBI single up the middle to plate Tyler Eager.

Eager tripled with one out in the ninth for his lone hit, and in the sixth had a RBI ground ball that scored Chuck Duarte.

The Buffaloes finished with 10 hits led by Mitch Tybroski and David Hebert, each of who had two.

ACU and West Texas A&M resume their series Saturday at 4 p.m. with a doubleheader. The second half of the twin bill will be broadcast live in Abilene on 1280-AM KSLI.