ABILENE - Abilene Christian baseball battled back from a pair of deficits to defeat Arkansas State in 10 innings Saturday night at Crutcher Scott Field.
Pinch runner
Cameron Cromer scored the go-ahead run on a bases-loaded walk issued to
Alexei Cazarin, who drew four straight balls after starting in an 0-2 hole vs. reliever Kollin Stone (0-1).
Stone also walked the two previous Wildcat batters (
Mike Brown and
Harrison Caley) after ACU started the rally with a single to left-center by DH
Tommy Cruz (3-3, 3 runs). Cromer came in to run for Cruz, advanced to second on
Mitchell Dickson's sacrifice hit and scampered to third on a wild pitch prior to coming home on the one-out walk.
The victory gave ACU a series win over the Red Wolves and lifted its season record to 7-3, while Arkansas State fell to 0-6. The two teams meet one final time Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Wildcats started Saturday's affair in a 4-0 hole, but started to dig their way out with a three-run fourth. Last night's hero
Colton Eager led off with an infield bunt single and scored three batters later on Dickson's RBI single to right.
Miller Ladusau then plated Cruz, who also had singled, and
Harrison Caley brought home Dickson on a hit to right field.
Arkansas State pushed its lead back to two at 5-3 in the seventh when Sky-Lar Culver doubled in cleanup hitter Tyler Duncan. The Red Wolves threatened to score more with two on and one out, but reliever
Austin Glaze got a fly ball to shallow left and strikeout of Jaylon Deshazier to escape the jam.
Glaze again worked his magic in the eighth, getting Culver to strike out with the bases loaded. Th Wildcat offense then responded in kind with the game-tying runs.
Hunter Gieser, Cruz and Dickson (2-4) all singled in succession and then pinch hitter
Brett Hammit drew a bases-loaded walk to make it a one-run game. Caley tied the score at 5-5 on a fly ball to center field.
Tanner Riley tossed the final 2.0 innings to earn the 'W' and improve to 3-0 on the young season. He got leadoff man Drew Tipton on a called third strike to escape a ninth-inning jam with runners at the corners, and struck out the side in the 10th to finish with five K.
Genner Cervantes started for ACU and struck out two in 3.1. IP He was followed to the mound by
Tyler Morgan, who punched out three in as many innings.
