STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Bryson Hill went 3-for-5 at the plate,
Hunter Gieser added a pair of knocks, but the Wildcat baseball team came out on the wrong end of a 10-3 final at Tarleton State in the final game of opening weekend. ACU (2-1) led early, but immediately fell behind, and despite getting within a run at the halfway point, gave up six runs in the sixth and seventh innings to go down in defeat.
After a scoreless first, Hill got on base with a hit to lead off the second. With one out, Gieser came up and sent one into the outfield. With great base-running, Hill was able to come all the way around to score, and Gieser moved up to second on the throw into home. Hill slid under the tag, and ACU jumped in front 1-0.
ACU gave the ball to sophomore
Adam Stephenson, who was only able to go three innings Sunday. The southpaw allowed three earned runs, all in the second inning, and gave up six hits while striking out two. Tarleton grabbed a 3-1 lead after the second frame, and would add to it with a run in the fourth off reliever
Tyler Morgan.
The Wildcats fought back in the middle innings, beginning with a two-run fifth frame.
Miller Ladusau opend the inning with a leadoff single, and after back-to-back one-out walks by
Cameron Cromer and
Mike Brown, Saturday's star
Grayson Tatrow stepped in. The sophomore turned on one to the right side, and an error at first base allowed the ball to get through into right field. Cromer and Brown came around to score, and Tatrow was thrown out at second base. ACU trailed 4-3 heading to the home sixth.
Then the Texan bats came alive. Tarleton added two runs in the sixth and four in the seventh to pull away off of Morgan and
Connor Carlton. ACU scored a run in the ninth but ultimately fell, 10-4.
Stephenson (0-1) took the loss, and ACU had five pitchers in the game, with
Tanner Riley and
Zach Smith combining for the final 1.2 innings.
Hill went 3-for-5 to cap a 6-for-11 opening weekend at the plate, while Gieser went 5-for-10 for the weekend after a two-hit Sunday.
ACU returns to action on Tuesday, Feb. 23 in College Station against the SEC's Texas A&M. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
