ABILENE –
Dalton Dunn,
Derek Scott and
Luis Trevino all went yard for the first time in 2019 Saturday, but it was a pair of two-run doubles in the eighth inning that provided Abilene Christian baseball with a 9-7 victory over Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Crutcher Scott Stadium.
The Wildcats (3-3) entered their last at-bat down 7-5 but got their first three runners on base as first baseman's
Koby Claborn lead-off triple and walk to
Robert Salazar were followed by sophomore
Colton Eager's game-tying double to center field. Then with two outs,
Ryne Randle was intentionally walked by reliever Bryce Roesch to give ACU runners at the corners and
Dalon Farkas capitalized with a shot down the left-field line.
Newcomer
Cole McKay, who entered the game in the top of the eighth as the Wildcats' third pitcher, scored his first win of the season behind a scoreless ninth. He got Ricardo Sanchez to ground out to second base, and after surrendering a single up the middle, he got pinch hitter Andrew Szalkowski looking at strike three and was there to cover the first base bag after Roesch hit a the game-ending ground ball to Claborn.
Scott started for the Wildcats and gave up four runs (all earned) on four hits and two walks. He also struck out three batters in finishing with 94 pitches, and gave ACU a 1-0 lead with a home run to lead off the second inning.
ACU made it a 2-0 game on Dunn's one-out round-tripper in the third, and pushed its lead to 3-0 when Trevino singled home Randle as the fifth batter of the inning.
Pine Bluff (1-5) rallied in its half of the fourth thanks to a three-run home run with one out hit by Larry Sims; however, the Wildcats answered with a two-run Trevino blast in the fifth inning vs. starter Sergio Esparaza. Trevino finished the game 2-5 with a run and three RBI.
The Golden Lions cut into ACU's lead with a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning, and grabbed their short-lived lead in the eighth inning off relievers
Kenny Otero and McKay. Otero allowed a couple of singles around a strikeout, and then McKay was greeted by first baseman Nick Kruetzer with a three-run bomb before coming back to strikeout Sims and Krzeminski.
The Wildcats and Golden Lions conclude their three-game series Sunday at 1 p.m.
