ABILENE – Starting pitcher
Jonathan Nicholson struck out four over 7.0 innings and senior catcher
Luis Trevino further made a case for being on every national watchlist imaginable after cracking two home runs and driving in five during Abilene Christian's series-clinching 9-3 win over Incarnate Word Sunday at Crutcher Scott Field.
The Wildcats are now 16-15 on the season and 5-7 in Southland Conference play, while the Cardinals – which entered this weekend tied for second place – fell to 20-12 and 9-6.
Trevino started his day 0-for-2 with a couple fly balls to right field but soon caught fire starting with a two-run, two-out RBI single in the fourth inning that put ACU ahead 4-1. He then cracked a two-run home run to right-center field in the sixth that pushed the Wildcats' lead to 8-1, and finished his 3-for-5 performance with a solo shot to dead center field in the eighth inning.
A native of Mission, Texas, Trevino's 31-game slash lines now stand at .427 BA. / .507 OB% / .769 SLG%. He's also scored 23 runs, driven in 38, and counts 10 home runs among his 50 base hits. Even more impressive is the fact he's only struck out eight times through 117 at-bats.
With Trevino catching, senior
Collin Chaney was moved into the DH spot and he responded with a 3-for-4 day at the plate that included a run and RBI. The Kaufman, Texas, native singled in three-straight plate appearances from the second to fifth innings, and broke a 1-1 tie with his base hit to center field as part of the Wildcats' four-run fourth.
The Wildcats registered 14 base hits overall off four UIW pitchers and received multi-hit games from six players. Leadoff man
Dalon Farkas went 2-for-4 with a run and RBI double. First baseman
Riley Donahue doubled and scored a run in the fourth, while second baseman
Ryne Randle collected a pair of singles. Shortstop
Dalton Dunn was 2-for-4 with two runs, single and double.
Nicholson (3-3) started the game in a little trouble with the Cardinals' taking a 1-0 first-inning lead on a sacrifice fly, but he recovered to retire the side in order in the second and third innings. He later worked around a two-out single in the fourth, tossed a perfect fifth, and ended the sixth with a pair of strikeouts after Antonio Valdez reached second base with the Wildcats up 5-1.
UIW chipped a little into ACU's lead with single runs in the seventh and eighth. A disputed call at second base allowed the Cardinals to make it an 8-2 game in the seventh, and they started the eighth vs. Nicholson with back-to-back outfield singles. A balk by reliever
Kenny Otero cut ACU's advantage to 8-3, but he struck out the last two batters of that inning and ended the game with a strikeout followed by a 4-6-3 double play.
Nicholson tossed 99 pitched in 7.0+ innings, while Otero made it through 2.0 frames with only 19 tosses.
ACU concludes its five-game homestand Tuesday with a 6:30 p.m. game vs. Texas-Permian Basin. The Wildcats edged the Falcons last Tuesday in Abilene, 6-5.
