THIBODAUX, La. –
Aaron Mason threw five strong innings Sunday and ACU's bullpen once again dominated the final four innings of the game as the Wildcats knocked off Nicholls, 5-3, in Southland Conference baseball action.
The win clinched the series for the Wildcats, who improved to 8-4 overall and 2-1 in the Southland with a three-game trip to Oklahoma State coming up this weekend (Friday-Sunday). The Colonels are now 5-8 and 1-2 in league play.
Mason improved to 3-0 on the season with five strong innings as he scattered six hits and two runs in his start while allowing just one walk and striking out two batters. He only needed 60 pitches to get through those five innings as he only allowed single runs in the second and fourth innings.
After Mason went five, the Wildcats' bullpen shut the door over the final four innings. Sophomore
Drew Hanson – who was a starter in each of the first two weekends when ACU had two four-game series – went into the eighth, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out four batters in 2 1/3 innings of work.
Freshman
Joseph Goetze went 1/3 of an inning before giving way to
Nick Palacios, who threw 1 1/3 innings of hitless relief, striking out a pair of Colonels to finish the game and record his fifth save of the young season.
Trailing 1-0 after three innings, the Wildcats finally got their offense cranked up in the top of the fourth inning with three runs on five hits. With one out and the bases loaded, transfer
Austin Call doubled down the left field line to drive in
David Ruot,
Russell Crippen and
Trey Albaugh to give the Wildcats a 3-1 lead.
After Nicholls got back to within 3-2 with a run in the fifth, the Wildcats got the eventual game-winning run in the seventh when
Mark Pearson delivered a on-out single to center and moved to second on a single by
Alex Copeland.
Aaron Draper then singled through the left side to drive in Pearson to make it 4-2.
ACU put the game away for good in the top of the eighth when Copeland singled to left to drive in Albaugh to make it 5-2. That single for Copeland was one of his four hits on the day as he finished 4 for 4. Call was 2 for 4 with three RBI and Draper was 2 for 5 with one RBI.
