ABILENE – A throwing error by Baker University's Max Taulbee from center field into his third-base dugout allowed the winning run to score in Abilene Christian's 6-5 10-inning victory Tuesday night at Crutcher Scott Field.
The Wildcats improved to 11-4 with the victory, while the Baker Wildcats dropped to 6-17.
Tied at 5-5 since the eighth inning, ACU started the decisive frame with a walk by left-fielder
Colton Eager and single by designated hitter
Dalon Farkas. Junior
Derek Scott (3-5, RBI) then lofted a pitch from reliever Austin Stendebach (0-2) into mid-center field just beyond the logo. Eager tagged at second, and Taulbee put everything he had behind his throw toward the third base bag, air mailing the ball into his own dugout.
By rule, the umpire awarded Eager and Farkas an extra base, resulting in the Wildcats' fourth one-run victory of the spring.
The game started as a tug of war. Baker scored its first run in the second inning on a throwing error by starting pitcher
Caleb Dougherty, who was trying to catch designated hitter Kyle Klomfahs off third base, but the Wildcats soon responded on
Seth Watts' first home run of the season – a two-run shot into the ACU bullpen in right field, scoring
Koby Claborn.
Baker tied the score once more in the fourth on a RBI single and grabbed a 3-2 lead in the fifth on Bailey Pattin's fly ball to right field off reliever
David Ruot.
A bit of wildness, however, would cost the visitors their lead in the sixth as a wild pitch by reliever Mark Carmack resulted in two runs as catcher Wyatt Logan lost track of the ball. Eager and Farkas hustled home from third and second base, respectively, all this right after Scott singled home
Dalton Dunn on a hit to center.
The erratic pitching and catching must have been contagious as a wild pitch and a pair of passed balls allowed Baker to tie the score at 5-5 with single runs in the seventh and eighth innings. A one-out wild pitch by
Ryan Knowles brought home Andrew Reich in the seventh to make it a 5-4 game, and the following frame, Wircenske scored from second base with two outs thanks to consecutive passed balls.
Knowles minimized the damage overall by leaving two runners stranded in scoring position to end the seventh and struck out Klomfahs to end the ninth with the bases loaded.
Jonathan Nicholson (2-1) started the 10th and immediately was helped by his defense as Eager threw Wircenske out at second base from the left-field line. The Abilene native then struck out the final two batters he faced.
The Wildcats return to action Friday for the start of a three-game series vs. Southland Conference rival New Orleans. First pitch is 6 p.m.
