ABILENE – The ACU Wildcats pounded out 16 hits and scored 11 runs Friday night in their Southland Conference series opener against Lamar, but it wasn't enough as the Cardinals' offense did even more damage against six ACU pitchers in a 17-11 Lamar win at Crutcher Scott Field.
The Cardinals hammered out 22 hits, including three home runs and four doubles, as they knocked off ACU in the first of three games between the teams. Game 2 of the series is set for 2 p.m. Saturday with Game 3 set for Sunday at 1 p.m. The Wildcats are now 10-24 overall and 1-18 in the league, while the Cardinals improve to 23-16 and 10-9.
The first game of the series between two of the league's top offensive teams certainly lived up to its billing as the two teams combined for 28 runs on 38 hits against 11 combined pitchers who combined to throw 387 pitches in the nine-inning contest that lasted 3 hours, 55 minutes. The teams combined for seven doubles (thee by ACU) and four home runs (one by ACU's
Luis Trevino) and combined to score 12 of their combined 18 half-innings.
Lamar broke on top with two runs in both the first and second innings before adding a run in the third for a 5-0 lead. ACU, however, rallied with five runs in the bottom of the third to tie the game with
Anthony Dominguez delivering the big hit, a two-run single to right field. But Lamar immediately answered with five runs in the fourth and five more in the fifth to push its lead to 15-5.ACU would answer with two runs in the fifth on RBI singles by
Koby Claborn
and
Aaron Draper, one run in the sixth on a Dominguez double to left, one in the eighth on a bases-loaded walk by
Cole Solomon, and two in the ninth on a two-run home run to right field by Trevino, but it wasn't enough as the Wildcats' pitching staff surrendered at least 10 runs for the 11
th time this season (10
th time in conference play).
The Wildcats didn't help themselves by leaving 14 men on base, including leaving the bases loaded in the seventh and eighth innings and two runners on in both the sixth and ninth innings. Dominguez finished 4 for 6 with two runs scored and three RBI for the Wildcats, while Trevino was 3 for 6 with three runs scored and three RBI, pushing his team-leading RBI total to 33.
