CONWAY, Ark. — Mike Brown delivered the game-winning RBI on a fielder's choice in the 11th inning, and the ACU baseball team started conference play 1-0 Friday night with a hard-fought victory over Central Arkansas, 9-8.
Tanner Riley delivered the final three outs, and earned the win as the Wildcats moved to 9-3 (1-0 SLC) on the season.
Tommy Cruz led the way with three runs driven in, as ACU built up an early lead with eight runs in the first four innings, including a six-run fourth. UCA came back to tie it at eight to send it to extras, but Brown delivered to put the 'Cats in front for good.
The lead after three innings
Senior
Spencer Chirpich got the ball Friday, and lasted 5.2 innings, but his team gave him the lead after three frames. ACU struck early with two in the first.
Mitchell Dickson and
Tommy Cruz each delivered with RBI-singles, and right out the gate it was 2-0. UCA responded with an RBI-single in the home third, but ACU led 2-1 going to the middle innings.
Six-run fourth inning
Freshman
Brett Hammit drove one into left field to plate Dickson and
Hunter Gieser, and ACU stretched its lead to 4-1.
Colton Eager then doubled into center field to score both Hammit and
Harrison Caley, and all of a sudden it looked as though the visitors would pull away. The Wildcats added two more off a Cruz single, and it was 8-1 ACU.
Central Arkansas responded with three runs in the home half of a busy fourth inning to cut into the lead, and ACU led 8-4 at that point. A double and a single made a four-run game going to the back half.
UCA ties it up
Tyler Morgan came in to relief Chirpich in the sixth, but UCA was able to a couple more runs on RBI-singles to make it an 8-6 lead. Morgan went one inning before giving way to
Tanner Riley, who finished the final 4.1 innings.
ACU was unable to push across any insurance runs, and the Bears were able to take advantage with an RBI-double and a wild pitch to plate the tying two runs, sending the game into extras.
Riley, Cruz the saviors in extras
Riley was excellent yet again, going 4.1 innings of relief and allowing no runs on five hits. He gave the Wildcats a chance in the 10th and 11th to grab the lead, and ACU did just that. Hammit singled with one out, and
Alexei Cazarin stepped up and doubled down the line to set up second and third with only one out. Insert
Mike Brown. The grad transfer delivered with an RBI fielder's choice to score Hammit, and ACU jumped in front, 9-8.
Riley closed the door in the bottom half, and after allowing back-to-back singles with one out, got two strikeouts to close the game and get the win.
Stat Pack
- Riley earned the W, and is now 3-0 on the season. The right hander struck out five and allowed just four hits in 4.1 innings of relief.
- Chirpich struck out six, but allowed five earned runs in 5.2 innings in the start.
- Eager went 3-for-6 at the plate and drove in two runs.
- Cruz went 2-for-4 with three runs driven in.
- Brown, Dickson, and Hammit each delivered with two hits apiece.
- Eager and Hammit both drove in two runs as well.
Up Next
The two teams will meet for a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m.
