ABILENE – Abilene Christian baseball (22-20, 9-12 Southland) rallied all the way back from an early 4-0 deficit with a two-run ninth inning only to watch McNeese (23-21, 9-12) have the final word in the 10th as the Cowboys' two-out RBI single off the bat of Nate Fisbeck held up as the game-winner in their 7-6 series-clinching victory Sunday at Crutcher Scott Field.
With two outs and a runner at second base, ACU's
Brennan Lewis (1-1) opted to walk leadoff man Payton Harden (3-5, run, two RBI) to get to Fisbeck, who had struck out in his prior two at-bats vs. the Wildcats' senior closer. This time, however, Fisbeck drilled a single to left field to put a damper on the Wildcats' comeback attempt.
ACU was retired in order in the 10th by game winner Aidan Anderson (3-4), but had the Cowboys' hurler on the ropes in its previous at-bat by starting the ninth inning with three-consecutive singles by seniors
Dalton Dunn (2-6, two runs),
Derek Scott (2-5 RBI) and
Luis Trevino (2-4, RBI).
Dunn led off with an infield single off third baseman Carson Maxwell's glove. Scott followed with an outfield base hit and then Trevino dropped a shot into left field for his team-leading 54th RBI of the season.
Senior
Dalon Farkas was then walked to load the bases, which set up
Collin Chaney's 6-4-3 double play that plated Scott from third base and tied the score at 6-6.
ACU's inning was kept alive by an intentional walk issued to
Ryne Randle but Anderson finally escaped the frame with a ground ball to shortstop.
McNeese, similar to Saturday's 10-4 win, again chased ACU's starter early as
Jonathan Nicholson was charged with four runs (three earned) in 3.1 innings pitched. The Cowboys scored twice in the first on a sacrifice fly and infield single and added additional two-out RBI in the second and third innings.
Overall, McNeese recorded nine base hits with two outs (out of 14) leading to six runs.
The Wildcats began chipping into the Cowboys lead in the third inning where back-to-back hits by
Colton Eager (1-3, run) and Dunn were followed by a run-scoring ground out by Scott and wild pitch uncorked by Jonathan Ellison, who was gone after 3.0 innings and 65 pitches.
McNeese regained a three-run lead in the fifth with Maxwell (double) scoring on catcher Brett Whelton's RBI single off reliever
Bryant Jordan, and then went up 6-3 in the eighth after Harden doubled in a run (Reid Bourque) over the head of left fielder Farkas. The Cowboys' run in the eighth was especially painful for the hometown crowd as their Wildcats had trimmed the Cowboys' lead to 5-3 in the sixth following a RBI single through the right side by catcher
Lane Bourland.
ACU's series defeat to McNeese was its first lost Southland weekend at home this season following wins over Northwestern State, Incarnate Word and Lamar. The Cowboys and Wildcats are now tied for ninth place in the conference standings (1.0 game behind eighth-place Nicholls) with only three weekends left in the regular season.
The Wildcats return to action Tuesday with a 6:30 p.m. non-conference game vs. TCU. The Horned Frogs defeated ACU earlier this season in Ft. Worth, 12-4, back on Feb. 20. TCU's RPI is 89.
