ABILENE - Abilene Christian softball remains winless at the Arizona Wildcat Invitational following two close losses to Ball State and North Dakota State Saturday at Hillenbrand Stadium.
Ball State edged the Wildcats, 5-3, and North Dakota State doubled up ACU, 4-2. The common thread between the two games was the opposition grabbing an early lead and the Wildcats (3-7) unable to complete their comeback attempts.
ACU will look to earn at least one victory at the tournament Sunday when the Wildcats meet Drake at 11 a.m. Mountain Time.
Game 1 – Ball State 5, ACU 3
Rachel Houck and Janae Hogg went a combined 5-for-7 with three RBI in leading Ball State to a 5-3 win over the Wildcats. Both recorded RBI singles in the first inning to get the Cardinals off to a 2-0 lead vs. starter
Hannah Null, and then Hogg ripped a double off reliever
Sidney Holman in the third to plate Houck and make it a 3-0 game.
ACU climbed back into the game in its half of the fourth inning on
Nicole Matise's two-run single to right field, but the Cardinals quickly regained their three-run advantage after scoring two insurance runs on a fielder's choice and error.
The Wildcats' three errors vs. Ball State led to three unearned runs.
ACU came back to the plate in the fifth after a 28-minute rain delay and put their first three batters on base with
Alli Spivey and
Baylee Travers each drawing a walk and
Peyton Hedrick reaching on a bunt single. Spivey would score on
Braegan Hamilton's infield single to third base, but the Cardinals and pitcher Darcie Huber would escape the jam with two put outs at the plate followed by a three-pitch strikeout of Matise.
The Wildcats would strand another runner in the sixth, and with a runner at third base, Huber struck out
Blair Clayton to end the game.
Null lasted just 1.0 inning vs. Ball State and Holman tossed 5.0 innings. Each pitcher recorded just one strikeout.
Hamilton led the offense with two base hits, a run and RBI.
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Game 2 – North Dakota State, 4, ACU 2
A pair of two-run home runs by first baseman Zoe Stavrou in the first and third innings against starter
Hannah Null was all the offense North Dakota State would need it is 4-2 victory over the Wildcats.Â
Stavrou finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs, four RBI and a walk.
Null lasted 5.0 innings in the night cap, striking out five and walking three.
Sidney Holman pitched the final 2.0 frames and scattered three hits on 26 pitches.
ACU scored its first run on a
Peyton Hedrick round-tripper in the fifth inning, and in the sixth,
Alli Spivey came home after an errant throw from catcher Tabby Heinz sailed down the left-field line. Heinz was attempting to throw Spivey out at third base on the successful stolen-base attempt.
Hedrick was left stranded at second base in the sixth after reliever Jacquelyn Sertic came in and got
Holly Neese on a fly ball to left field. Sertic then retired the side in order in the seventh for her first save of the season.
KK Leddy started for the Bison and lasted 5.2 innings. She gave up just four base hits, walked one and struck out two.
