Box Score SANTA BARBARA -- Abilene Christian baseball drew seven walks to go along with a handful of base hits, but couldn't cash in on their scoring opportunities outside a third-inning ground ball and fell 6-1 at UC Santa Barbara Saturday night at Caesar Uyesaka Stadium.
Hunter Clearman (.467 BA) swatted a one-out triple to center field and scored on the next play when leadoff man
Cameron Cromer rolled one off the bat to shortstop to make it a 2-1 game. Unfortunately for the Wildcats (4-3), they couldn't get any closer as the Gauchos tacked on single runs in the fourth and fifth then two more in the eighth in improving to 5-1.
ACU had its chances though to climb back into the contest, particularly in the later innings. A double-play ball squashed a seventh-inning threat during which the Wildcats had runners at the corners and one out, down 4-1, and then in the eighth, consecutive two-out walks led to a passed ball that placed runners in scoring position but a fielder's choice saved the Gauchos' bullpen from further stress.
ACU in the ninth drew three walks vs. two Santa Barbara relievers, but Carter Benbrook struck out Cromer to end the game for the Gauchos' 15th strikeout of the game.
UCSB used six pitchers tonight, while the Wildcats countered with four.
Austin Ruesch started and whiffed four batters in 4.1 innings. He was followed to the mound by Tuesday TCU starter
Spencer Chirpich (3.0 IP, 1K),
Owen Cuffe (0.1 IP) and
Taylor Munkres (0.1 IP).
The Wildcats and Gauchos conclude their series Sunday at 2 p.m. CT.
