ABILENE - Abilene Christian softball stranded 11 runners on base through the first 6.0 innings, but everyone came running home in the seventh after junior
Casey-May Huff crushed a walk-off grand slam, giving the Wildcats a wild 5-2 win over Sam Houston State Friday night at Poly Wells Field.
The win was ACU's fourth straight to lift its season and conference records to 20-18 and 13-6, while the Bearkats fell to 15-29 and 7-12.
The Wildcats drew eight walks and ripped four hits against Bearkat starter Lindsey McLeod entering the final inning but had little to show for their efforts other than a solo home run by
Cara Hoover in the fourth that cut Sam Houston's lead to 2-1. Â
Twice ACU had left the bases loaded, and in the sixth, the offense couldn't cash in on a pair of two-out walks.
McLeod, however, continued to struggle with her control in the seventh, which led to a leadoff walk to
Brianna Barnhill. And after
Miranda Herron lined softly to shorstop, designated player
Alli Spivey ripped a double to the right-center gap.
Spivey's hit was the Wildcats' first of the game since a
Taylor Brown fourth-inning single.
With two runners in scoring position, the Bearkats opted to give an intentional pass to Hoover, hoping that Huff - who was 0-for-2 with a walk at that point - would make an out or end the game on a double play.
The at-bat did not start well for Huff as she appeared to take two outside pitches for called strikes. Then McLeod began to miss the zone again, and rather than risk walking in the game-tying run, she tossed the full-count pitch right into Huff's wheelhouse.
Not only was the home run Huff's first of the season, it also made a winner out of redshirt sophomore
Hannah Null, who overcame two third-inning mistakes to pick up her 12th win of the spring.
Null was brilliant to start the game in striking out the Bearkats' No. 3 and 4 hitters with a runner at second base in the first, and in the second she retired the side in order thanks to a leaping catch by shortstop
Peyton Hedrick.
She was one out away from 1-2-3 third inning, but a dropped catch at first base allowed Bailey Watson to reach safely, and two pitches later Dani Allen made it a 2-0 game with her second home run of the season.
Allen also singled in the first, but no other Bearkat reached base following her third-inning blast off the left-field light post as Null retired the final 13 batters she faced on only 75 pitches.
In addition to her five Ks, which pushed her past 100 for the season, Null got 11 ground outs and didn't allow a fly ball to the outfield until the seventh.
McLeod tossed 159 pitches in falling to 7-10 on the season.
The Bearkats and Wildcats continue their series Saturday with a 12 p.m. doubleheader.
