ABILENE -- Northwestern State used solid starting pitching and power hitting throughout the lineup Saturday to finish off the first two games of a Southland Conference baseball series against ACU at Crutcher Scott Field.
The Demons rallied from a 5-0 deficit and an overnight lightning suspension to knock off the Wildcats, 6-5, in 12 innings in the completion of the first game, and then pounded out five extra-base hits including two home runs as they took the second game, 12-6. The series finale is set for 1 p.m. Sunday at Crutcher Scott Field.
The losses drop ACU to 13-33 overall and 11-14 in the Southland, while the Demons improve to 28-19 and 8-7.
Here's a recap of each game:
Game 1 (NW State 6, ACU 5, 12 innings) -- ACU head coach
Britt Bonneau was honored before the game with a brief ceremony commemorating his 700th career win, and the Wildcat offense quickly got to work on adding another win to the resume with a five-run first inning.
The first six Wildcats reached base against starting pitcher Adam Oller, who entered the game with a 2.66 ERA. The first five Wildcats scored as
Heath Beasley doubled to drive in two runs and
Russell Crippen singled to drive in two more.
Then Oller took over.
After spotting the Wildcats a 5-0 lead, Oller retired each of the next 23 men he faced before
Tyler Eager broke up the string with a two-out single in the eighth inning. By then the Demons had scored once in the second, twice in the third, once in the fourth and once in the sixth to tie the game, 5-5.
Before ACU went to the plate in the bottom of the ninth the game was stopped because of intense lightning in the area. After a one-hour delay, the head coaches and umpires decided to suspend the game and bring the teams back to the field Saturday to finish the game.
The Wildcats had a pair of runners on base with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but couldn't score, and Northwestern State had two on and two out in the 10th and left them on base. The Demons finally broke through against
Ladgie Zotyka in the top of the 12th with a two-out RBI single from Cort Brinson, who earlier in the game had tied a Northwestern State single-season record with a hit in his 28th straight game.
ACU got the tying run on base in the bottom of the 12th, but couldn't get him around as the Demons picked up the come-from-behidn win.
Game 2 (Northwestern State 12, ACU 6) -- After the Wildcats took an early 1-0 lead, the Demons took complete control with two runs in the third, two more in the fifth, two in the sixth, one in the seventh, three in the eighth and two more in the ninth.
Each of ACU's five pitchers in the game -- starter
Nate Cole and relievers
Drew Hanson,
Landon Holifield,
Austin Lambright and
Brandon Lambright -- gave up at least two hits and two runs. The Demons pounded out three doubles, on trip and home from Kwanstan Adkins and CJ Webster.
Crippen had his team-leading third home run of the season in the ninth inning; a two-run shot that brought ACU to within 12-6.
Tyler Eager was 3 for 4 with one run scored and one RBI in the second game.
