ABILENE -- Abilene Christian's three-man pitching staff of
Spencer Chirpich,
Tyler Morgan and
Tanner Riley combined for a Wildcat DI-era single-game record 17 strikeouts in the Wildcats' 8-7 win over New Mexico State Friday night at Crutcher Scott Field.
The Wildcats improved to 4-1 with the win. It was the season opener for the WAC's Aggies. The two teams will meet again Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.
Chirpich whiffed four batters in his 3.1 innings of work. Morgan then came in with a man aboard in the fourth, holding onto a 6-5 lead, and struck out the first two batters he faced to strand the runner (Conno Laux) at third base. Morgan punched out six of the first eight batters he face until running into trouble in the seventh.
Morgan got Laux to fly out to right on the first pitch of the seventh, but was lifted in favor of
Tanner Riley after walking the next three Aggie batters.
Riley inherited a bases-loaded situation with a 7-5 lead and saw the lead vanish on a bases-loaded walk and sacrifice fly RBI to left. From there, however, Riley (2-0) was virtually unhittable, surrendering just one base hit while striking out a game-high seven. He struck out the side in both the eighth and ninth innings as the Wildcats fell one K short of tying the team's single-ame punchout record of 18, set in 1993 vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville.
Offensively, all nine batters reached base as the Wildcats did most of their damage during a six-run first inning, during which Aggie starter Chris Barraza gave up four base hits and threee walks. ACU tied the score at 2-2 on
Mitchell Dickson's bases-loaded free pass and took the lead two batters later on
Sebastian Randle's two-out, two-run single to left field.
Cameron Cromer followed with a double down the left-field line, putting the Wildcats ahead 6-2.
Randle and Cromer went a combined 4-for-7 with two runs and five RBI from the No. 8 and 9 spots.
New Mexico State tacked on three more runs between the second and third frames in closing ACU's lead to 6-5, and then they tied it in the seventh at 7-7.
ACU shortly broke the tie in its half of the seventh vs. Aggie relievers Josh Laukkanen and Rorik Maltrud.
Bryson Hill and Dickson (2-3, run, RBI) each singled,
Brett Hammit walked, and with one out Cromer brought home Hill on a ground ball to short for the game-winning RBI.
