CONWAY, Ark. — When it's 9-0 in the eighth inning, packing it in seems to be the easy decision. But not this team. ACU fights all the way to the end, and with this offensive firepower, they showed they can come back in any situation. Despite falling 9-8 to Central Arkansas on Sunday, the Wildcats scored eight runs in the eighth inning, making a valiant comeback effort against the Bears to close the four-game weekend. ACU (10-5, 2-2 SLC) saw UCA score six in the sixth to open up an 8-0 lead, and after another run in the seventh, the rally started in the eighth. Despite the loss, the offense generated 10 hits led by
Colton Eager's three.
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Scoreless start for Morgan
Right-hander
Tyler Morgan made his first start of the season, and was brilliant through the first three innings. He allowed no runs on one hit, before giving way to
Trevor Jackson with one out in the fourth. Morgan finished with 3.1 innings, allowing one run on two hits with four strikeouts. ACU did not score early on, but the pitching would good in a scoreless first three innings of play.
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UCA builds big lead in middle innings
Central Arkansas scored one in the fourth, one in the fifth, and six in the sixth to blow open an 8-0 lead. Jackson,
Connor Carlton, and
Austin Ruesch threw in the middle frames for the Wildcats. UCA would go on to add one more in the seventh to open up what would look to be an insurmountable 9-0 lead.
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The comeback was almost completed
The eighth inning began with a
Miller Ladusau single, and it would not be the last we hear from the Wildcat outfielder. Ladusau advanced on a passed ball, and after
Alexei Cazarin was walked and
Mike Brown was hit by a pitch, ACU had the bases loaded. They passed the baton over to
Tommy Cruz, who delivered with a sac fly to score Ladusau, and ACU was on the board. They were nowhere near done.
Colton Eager singled to right to score Cazarin, and again there were two on with one out.
Hunter Gieser kept the line going with a single himself to plate Brown, and the Wildcats trailed 9-3. With runners at first and second, and after a UCA pitching change,
Mitchell Dickson stepped in. With still only one out, Dickson doubled down the left-field line, scoring Eager and moving Gieser over to third. The 'Cats trailed 9-4, and
Sebastian Randle struck out in what seemed to be a big out for the Bears. Well, the ball rolled through and Randle was able to reach first safely, loading the bases. Then in comes freshman
Brett Hammit.
The rookie drove one down the line in left, just keeping it fair and as the ball rolled into the corner, all three runners came around to score, and ACU trailed 9-7. Not to be outdone, Ladusau came back around to hit, and singled to score Hammit, and it was a 9-8 ball game. Unfortunately, the rally ended there, but the Wildcats sent 12 batters to the plate and scored eight times to make it a one-run game going to the home half.
Max Huffling kept it a one-run ballgame, but the Wildcats couldn't push across a run in the ninth, dropping 9-8.
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Stat Pack
- Eager's three hits paced the 'Cats, while Hammit's three RBI were a team-high.
- Hammit and Ladusau each tallied two hits.
- All eight runs were scored by eight different players.
- Morgan recorded four strikeouts in the start, and Ruesch struck out three batters in his relief outing.
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Up Next
ACU returns to Abilene next weekend for its first home Southland series when the Nicholls Colonels come to town. Friday's Game 1 at Crutcher Scott Field gets underway at 6:05 p.m., while Saturday's doubleheader and Sunday's single game both begin at 2:05 p.m.
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