Box Score TUCSON, Ariz. – For the second time in the last four nights, the ACU Wildcats gave a team from the Pac-12 Conference all they wanted and then some.
Unfortunately, for the second time the Wildcats came out on the short end of the scoreboard as Arizona used a three-run first inning and a complete-game performance by senior starting pitcher James Farris in his final appearance as an Arizona Wildcat to pull out a 4-3 win over ACU at Hi Corbett Field.
The team will be back in action Saturday at 6 p.m. (8 p.m. Abilene time) before wrapping up the series Sunday at noon (2 p.m. Abilene time). The Wildcats will carry a 17-35 record into Saturday's game, while Arizona will take a 21-32 mark into the contest.
ACU had a chance to take the first game of the series, thanks in large part of the effort of starting pitcher
Russell Crippen. The freshman right-hander – in only his third start of the season – gave up just seven hits and four runs in six innings of work.
Crippen scuffled through the first inning, giving up three singles and a double as Arizona scored three times to take an early lead. But Crippen would settle down, retiring the final two men of the inning, beginning a streak that saw him retire 16 of the last 21 men he faced in the game. With two outs in the second inning, he gave up a hard-hit double to Zach Gibbons and an RBI single to Kevin Newman before getting Scott Kingery to pop out to
Brandon Grudzielanek at shortstop to end the inning.
"Crippen had a rough start, but then he settled down and was very effective," ACU head coach
Britt Bonneau said. "He started throwing his slider very effectively and he and (relief pitcher)
Nick Palacios were able to put up a lot of zeroes. Just like Tuesday night at Arizona State, I was proud of the way our team represented Abilene Christian tonight."
ACU got a run in the top of the second when
Taylor Waters – who had a single – went to third on a single by
Gunnar Buhner and scored on a throwing error by second baseman Trent Gilbert, cutting the Arizona lead to 3-1. After Arizona scored in the bottom of the inning to make it 4-1, ACU chipped away again in the fourth with a run when
Heath Beasley singled, went to second on a sacrifice bunt by
Colton Hall and scored on a fielder's choice by Buhner.
ACU scored again in the fifth when
Seth Spivey led off with a single, went to second on a sacrifice bunt by
Aaron Draper and scored on a single to centerfield by
Tyler Eager, cutting the Arizona lead to 4-3.
But Farris would allow only two more ACU baserunners over the final four innings as he finished his Arizona career with a complete-game win to improve to 6-6 on the season. Farris scattered nine hits over nine innings and struck out seven batters while walking just three Wildcats.
