HAMMOND, La. – Abilene Christian baseball (10-13, 3-6 Southland) scored all its runs and ripped two of its five base hits during the sixth inning of Sunday's 8-3 loss at Southeastern Louisiana's PKD at Alumni Field.
The Lions improved to 11-12 overall and 4-2 within the Southland Conference behind the three-game sweep of the Wildcats.
SLU's starting pitcher Will Warren (2-2) was given an 8-0 advantage by the fourth inning and had tossed 5.0 scoreless frames before encountering trouble in the sixth against the top of ACU's lineup.
Senior right-fielder
Dalon Farkas, who Friday became the Wildcats' all-time DI leader with 49 doubles, clubbed the 50th of his career with one out. Center fielder
Derek Scott followed with a walk, which gave way to designated hitter
Luis Trevino's three-run blast over the wall in left-center field.
Trevino's bomb was his sixth of the season and 10th of his two-year career with the Wildcats.
Russell Crippen, who was the Wildcats' previous leader with 48 career doubles, clubbed 20 round-trippers with the Purple and White between 2014-17.
Warren recovered to get the next two batters after Trevino's shot, and turned matters over to the bullpen to begin the seventh inning after tossing 82 pitches.
Kade Granier retired the final six batters he faced after allowing a leadoff single to
Ryne Randle. Bryce Tassin then tossed a perfect ninth with three punch outs.
Nick Ray again led SLU at the plate, recording his third-consecutive multi-hit and RBI game vs. the Wildcats, going 3-for-4 with three runs driven in. He provided his team a 3-0 lead in the first with a two-run single, then tripled and scored in third inning, and singled once more in the seventh.
Bryce Steckler homered in the second inning off starter
Jonathan Nicholson (2-2) to put the Lions up 4-0, and began the fourth with a double vs. reliever
Brennan Lewis that led to a two run-inning and an 8-0 SLU advantage.
Lewis went on to allow only three more base hit between the fourth and eighth innings.
Zach Smith and
Kenny Otero then combined for a scoreless ninth inning.
The Wildcats conclude their weeks-long road trip Tuesday with a 6:30 p.m. game at UT Arlington before coming home Friday to play host to Grambling State for a weekend series. Game times at Crutcher Scott Field vs. the Tigers are set for 6:30, 2 and 1 p.m.
