ABILENE – Abilene Christian's offense counted five doubles among 11 base hits in the Wildcats' 6-5 victory over New Orleans Saturday at Crutcher Scott Field. Juniors
Riley Donahue and
Robert Salazar each clubbed a pair of two baggers, and their consecutive hits to begin the seventh inning led to the game-winning run.
The Wildcats improved to 13-4 overall with the victory and 2-3 within the Southland Conference, while the Privateers fell to 8-11 and 1-4. The two sides conclude their three-game series Sunday at 1 p.m.
New Orleans cut ACU's three-run lead down to one at 5-4 in the seventh, but the Wildcats quickly got that insurance run as Salazar's double over the right-fielder's head was followed by Donahue's rip down the first base line. Salazar scored easily, but Donahue was thrown out at third base after right fielder Pearce Howard misplayed the ball in the corner.
The Privateers would get one run back in their half of the eighth on Cody Ducote's double to the right-center gap, scoring Orynn Veillon, to make it a 6-5 game but on the very next play ACU second baseman
Dalton Dunn snagged a line drive off the bat of Jacob McFadden and doubled Veillon off second base to complete the twin killing.
ACU's offense went quietly in the ninth and turned matters over to junior
Derek Scott to earn his first save of the season. Scott, who started the game in left field and went 1-for-4 at the plate with a two-run single in the fifth that gave ACU the lead for good at 3-2, tossed a 1-2-3 inning. He got Collin Morrill looking at strike three, and both Jay Robinson and Darren Willis to ground out to Salazar at shortstop.
Salazar followed Scott's run-scoring single with a RBI double to make it a 4-2 game. ACU then pushed its lead to 5-2 in the sixth on
Colton Eager's RBI ground ball to second base.
ACU earlier spotted starter
Brock Barger an early 1-0 lead in the second when Donahue, who doubled to deep center with two outs, scored on
Seth Watts' RBI single up the middle. But the Privateers struck back with two runs in the fourth on three consecutive hits by Owen Magee, Beau Bratton and Veillon.
Barger rebounded from that tough inning with a scoreless fifth and sixth, but in the seventh back-to-back singles by Morill and Robinson would chase him from the contest in favor of reliever
Jonathan Nicholson.
Nicholson allowed both inherited runners to score in addition to Ducote's RBI double in the eighth.
Reeves Martin started for New Orleans and lasted just 4.1 innings, during which he gave up four earned runs on nine hits with seven strikeouts. He left the game trailing, 4-2, and received little help from the bullpen as both Matthew Gillis and Rafael Martinez each allowed additional runs to score in the sixth and seventh innings.
Veillon and Salazar each led their respective clubs with three base hits apiece.
