Sam Houston State takes two from Wildcat softball

HUNTSVILLE, Texas - Abilene Christian softball lost both ends of a doubleheader Friday at Sam Houston State despite holding an early lead in each contest. The Wildcats were edged in game one, 5-4, and dropped the nightcap, 5-2.

The Wildcats and Bearkats conclude their three-game series Saturday at 10 a.m.

Game One Recap - Sam Houston State 5, Abilene Christian 4
Sam Houston State rallied from a second-inning 3-0 deficit before holding onto a 5-4 victory in game one of its doubleheader vs. the Wildcats.

The Bearkats scored their eventual game-winning runs on a two-run shot by left fielder Jennie Kieval that snapped a 3-3 tie. ACU attempted one last comeback during its final at-bat in the seventh but reliever Tayler Atkinson got pinch hitter Cara Hoover to fly out
to center with two aboard for the final out.

After leaving the bases loaded in the first, the Wildcats scored three times in the second thanks to run-scoring hits by Taylor Brown and Peyton Hedrick followed by a two-out error.

Brown's base knock was her ninth triple of the season.

The Bearkats cut into the Wildcat lead in their half of the inning on a two-run home run by Peyton Webb, and tied the scored at 3-3 on Dani Allen's sacrifice fly to center in the fourth.

Meanwhile, the Wildcats stranded five runners on base between the third and sixth innings with three of them in scoring position.

ACU scored its final run on Brianna Barnhill's RBI single that plated pinch runner Holly Vanckhoven.

Barnhill was one of four Wildcats to finish with a multi-hit game along with Brown (2-for-4), Hedrick (2-for-4) and Kaleigh Singleton (2-for-3).

Game Two Recap - Sam Houston State 5, Abilene Christian 2
ACU scored one in the first and another in the seventh but couldn't muster anything in between as Sam Houston's Haley Baros scattered eight hits in her complete-game effort.

Brown went 2-for-4 with two singles and two stolen bases, one of which led to the game's first run after she raced home on a throwing error by catcher Tiffany Castillo.

Barnhill led off the Wildcats' seventh with a walk and scored on Baylee Travers' one-out pinch hit single. But with runners at second and third base Baros got both Brown and Hedrick to ground out.

ACU starter Julia Montoya held the Bearkats scoreless until the third when Sarah Allison cracked a three-out bomb with two outs. The home team then added two insurance runs in the fifth with RBI singles from Allison and Kieval.