ACU offense dominates in doubleheader sweep of Tarleton

ABILENE — The Wildcat baseball team took the field for the first time in 346 days Saturday, and the excitement for the year was as an all-time high. One could not have asked for a better start to the season as ACU scored 23 runs on 24 hits in two wins over the Tarleton State Texans. The Wildcats are 2-0 to start the year for the third time in the last four seasons, winning 16-3 in Game 1 and 7-2 in Game 2. Six Wildcats recorded at least two hits today during the dominant victories.

Game 1

Game 1 Scoring

ACU put constant pressure on Tarleton from the get-go. The Wildcats loaded the bases with no outs in the first inning, and despite not being able to score, set the tone for the rest of the day.

• B2 | ACU struck first in the home second when catcher Bryson Hill and Mitchell Dickson roped back-to-back doubles to lead 1-0. 
• B2 | Dickson and Mike Brown then got creative on the base paths; Brown looked like he would get picked off at first, and when he was on his way to second, Dickson took off for home from third base. The throw then came home and Dickson slid under it to put the 'Cats up 2-0.
• B3 | Freshman Brett Hammit launched one to left field for a three-run home run. It was the first of three homers on the day for ACU.
• B3 | After Brown brought in a run on an RBI-groundout, newcomer Grayson Tatrow got a hold of one down the right field line to plate two more runs with a double. It broke the game open early, putting the Wildcats up 8-1.
• B4 | Dickson added to the scoring with an RBI-groundout, and Hill then scored on a passed ball to put ACU up 10-1.
• B5 | Hunter Gieser got himself into the RBI party with a double down the left field line, getting a run back that Tarleton scored. ACU led 11-3 at that point.
• B6 | Freshman Bash Randle perfectly placed a ball into right field to score two runs on the single, and three batters later Tatrow muscled a ball out to left field for a three-run home run. ACU was in full command all day, winning 16-3.

Game 1 Pitching

• Senior Spencer Chirpich got the ball on Opening Day for the second time as a Wildcat (2019), and went 4.2 innings in a seven-run shortened game due to the run-rule. Chirpich allowed three runs, but only one earned, on five hits. The Minnesota native struck out three batters of the 21 he faced.
• Austin Glaze came in for an inning-and-a-third and struck out two of the five he faced. Glaze did not allow a run.
• Carter Sells tossed the seventh frame to clean up the 16-3 victory.

Game 1 Stat Pack

• Tatrow went 3-for-5 in his Wildcat debut, and drove in five runs.
• Gieser, Hill, Dickson, and Colton Eager all recorded two hits apiece and Dickson drove in a pair of runs. The catcher also threw out a runner at third base.
• Randle drove in a pair and Hammit drove in three with his homer.
• Hill and Dickson each scored three runs, while Eager, Gieser, and Randle each scored twice.

Game 2

Game 2 Scoring

• B1 | Bryson Hill absolutely obliterated a baseball to right field to get the scoring started, giving ACU the lead, 3-0.
• B3 | Hunter Gieser doubled into left center field to score Colton Eager, and ACU led 4-0. The lead stretched to 5-0 when Cal Strandt, who got the start in Game 2, drew a bases-loaded walk.
• B4 | After Tarleton got on the board in the top half of the frame, Colton Eager hit a long fly ball into the left field corner that was caught in foul territory. Tatrow tagged and scored from third to put ACU up 6-1.
• B6 | Eager then tallied another sac fly with one into right center to score Mike Brown for the seventh and final run.

Game 2 Pitching

• Junior transfer Genner Cervantes got his first start as a Wildcat after appearing from the bullpen in 2020. The right-hander went 4.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on two hits while striking out four.
• He handed the ball to lefty Max Huffling, who went the final 2.2 frames. The big six-foot, nine-inch southpaw struck out six of the 11 batters he faced, including the final batter of the game in the seventh to seal the deal.

Game 2 Stat Pack

• Grayson Tatrow and Bash Randle each tallied two hits, a part of the eight Wildcats who recorded a base knock in the game.
• Hill drove in three with his big fly; Eager recorded a pair of RBI.
• Tatrow and Eager each scored two runs

Up Next

ACU will wrap up the three-game series with Tarleton on Sunday in Stephenville. First pitch is at 2 p.m. Left-hander Adam Stephenson gets the ball as the Wildcats go for the sweep.