ABILENE – The ACU softball team (8-18, 1-8 SLC) is right in the midst of a 10-game home stand, and looks to keep the momentum going from its Tuesday-night victory over North Texas of Conference USA. The Wildcats return to Southland action with a three-game set against the Cardinals of Incarnate Word at Poly Wells Field. Friday's doubleheader gets underway at 5 p.m., while Saturday's finale begins at 12 p.m.
WEEKEND COVERAGE… Friday night's doubleheader will have both a live stat option and a live stream, while Saturday's lone game will have live stats only.
THE SERIES… ACU and UIW will take the diamond for the 42nd time ever Friday night, with the Wildcats holding a 29-12 edge in the series. ACU has won nine in a row, and are 16-6 against the Cardinals in Abilene. UIW won four straight times in 2013 and 2014, but ACU has countered that with a 17-10 record in Southland Conference games. The teams first met in 2007, with ACU winning 8-0. Both schools joined the SLC in 2013, when the two each moved from NCAA Division II to Division I.
PURPLE LOOKS MEANER THAN GREEN… The Wildcats took down the North Texas Mean Green in style Tuesday night at Poly Wells Field, topping the leaders of Conference USA in just five innings, 9-1. ACU got a dominant pitching performance from
Calie Burris, going four strong, allowing just one run on four hits.
Bobby Reeves' offense got going in a big way as well, matching its season-high in runs, doing so on 10 hits.
Katelyn Belch and
Linsey Tomlinson's two hits apiece led the team, with seven different 'Cats recording a base knock. Belch,
Kayla Keeling, Burris, and Tomlinson each drove in a pair of runs as well.
BIG INNINGS… While Burris was dominating in the circle, ACU was putting up big innings on offense. The Wildcats scored five times in the second frame, the second-most runs scored in a single inning this season. ACU scored six times in the third inning of its 9-2 win over Maine in the home opener. The home team scored four times in the fourth to put the game out of reach.
MAGIC NUMBER: 6… The Wildcats magic number on offense this season is six. When the offense scores six or more runs, the team is 6-0. The team is 2-18 when it scores less than six in a game.
"4"G "LT"E... Junior transfer
Linsey Tomlinson (#4) has had great service at the plate so far in 2019 for the Wildcats. The Mary Hardin-Baylor transfer leads the team in hitting with a .315 average, and is currently on a five-game hitting streak, best of the roster. Tomlinson has tallied 23 hits, including four doubles and a home run, and drove in a pair of runs in the win over UNT Tuesday night. The Huffman, Texas native is also 8-11 this season in stolen bases.
SCOUTING THE CARDINALS… UIW has lost seven straight, and currently sits at 2-22 and 0-6 in Southland play. The Cardinals were swept by the Sugar Bears of Central Arkansas at home last weekend, and did not play in the midweek. Renee Hoffman leads the team in average at .244, while Brett Coleman leads the team in starts in the circle with 13, and has a 4.60 earned run average.
