ABILENE – Abilene Christian's offense exercised plenty of patience at the plate Tuesday night in its 13-6 win over Texas-Permian Basin at Crutcher Scott Field, drawing 10 walks against seven Falcon pitchers. The Wildcats also were plunked a program record six times in improving to 17-15 on the season.
Incredibly, the 10 walks issued to ACU represented its third highest total of the season. Arkansas-Pine Bluff walked a dozen Wildcats back on Feb. 24 and the Bryant Bulldogs allowed 11 free passes a week earlier on Feb. 16. The dubious record of 20 was set last May by Mississippi Valley State.
ACU has 146 bases on balls on the season.
The Falcons jumped out to a 3-0 lead on Peyton Koopman's second home run of the spring in the first inning, but their advantage did not last long as it took three UTPB pitchers to get through 14 Wildcat batters in the nine-run second inning.
The frame started with an innocent bunt single by second baseman
Ryne Randle, and then over the course of about 40 minutes there were four walks, two hit by pitches and three run-scoring base hits by
Lane Bourland,
Dalton Dunn and
Collin Chaney.
Chaney reached base four times and scored three runs to tie
Seth Watts for the team lead. Watts also had an interesting line in the final box score, going 0-for-1 with three runs, a walk and RBI.
Dunn, meanwhile, was the lone Wildcat to register a multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 with a run and three RBI as he also delivered a two-run single to left field in the fourth that made it an 11-3 game.
UTPB cut that lead to 11-6 in the sixth after the Falcons alternated walks and singles against two ACU relievers, but the Wildcats got two runs back on a bases-loaded walk issued to right fielder
Dalon Farkas followed by a RBI ground out off the bat of
Luis Trevino.
Drew Hanson pitched the first inning in tonight's start. He was followed to the mound by
Bryant Jordan, who won his first game as a Wildcat by tossing 3.0 scoreless frames with three strikeouts.
Cole McKay also whiffed three through 1.1 innings, while
Zach Smith (2.2 IP) and
Mark Geisel (1.0) each recorded one punchout.
The Wildcats return to Southland Conference action this weekend with a three-game series at Houston Baptist.
