ABILENE — Alexei Cazarin scored a pair of runs,
Mitchell Dickson recorded two hits including an rbi-single, but the Wildcat baseball team came out on the wrong end of a 6-5 finish in 10 innings against the Northwestern State Demons Saturday at Crutcher Scott Field. ACU (16-11, 8-8 SLC) led 4-2 after six, but a three-run eighth put NSU in front, and despite ACU tying it in the ninth, the Demons (13-13, 7-5 SLC) scored once more in the 10th for the extra-inning win. ACU scored five runs on five hits, but left 13 runners on in the loss.
Scoreless first three innings
Starter
Spencer Chirpich three five innings of one-run ball Saturday, and despite allowing a hit in each of the first three innings, kept the game scoreless. ACU only managed one hit in the first three frames against Demon starter Donovan Ohnoutka, who lasted just three frames. ACU had baserunners, drawing three walks, but were unable to capitalize early.
'Cats take the lead in unconventional way
It was not the typical offense that brought runs across for ACU. The Wildcats trailed 1-0 heading the home fifth after an rbi-single from NSU. ACU responded with a three-run inning to grab the lead, and it all came with two outs.
Miller Ladusau walked to load the bases, and
Grayson Tatrow followed it up with a base on balls to bring across the game-tying run in
Alexei Cazarin. After a pitching change, and with
Mike Brown at the plate, ACU scored on consecutive mistakes; there was a passed ball charged to the Demon catcher that allowed
Colton Eager to score, and a wild pitch that allowed Ladusau to cross. ACU led 3-1 going to the sixth.
NSU got a run back on an rbi-double to make it 3-2 ACU, but the 'Cats responded with a run of their own in the home sixth.
Mitchell Dickson singled through the left side to score Cazarin, and it was a 4-2 Wildcat lead going to the final three innings.
NSU grabs lead in eighth, ACU ties it, NSU wins it
The Demons responded with three runs in the eighth inning against
Trevor Jackson, scoring on a double, single, and sacrfice fly to go up 5-4. THe Wildcats evened it up in the ninth, again scoring on a wild pitch. Tatrow led the inning off with a double, and later scored to tie it at five.
NSU moved a runner to second base with a sacrifice bunt in the 10th, and a single from Jeffrey Elkins put Northwestern State in front, 6-5. ACU went down in order in the home 10th.
Stat Pack
- Chirpich allowed one run on seven hits in 5.0 innings, and tallied two strikeouts.
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Austin Glaze went two innings of relief, allowing one run on two hits.
- Jackson did not record an out in the eighth.
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Max Huffling tossed 2.0 innings out of the bullpen, allowing one run on one hit with two punch outs.
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Connor Carlton pitched the 10th, and took the loss.
- Dickson's two hits led the way, while he and Tatrow had the lone RBI for the Wildcats.
Up Next
ACU hits the road next weekend for four games in Hammond against Southeastern Louisiana. It pits the Wildcats up against the team with the second-best record in the Southland at 10-5, and it starts Friday, April 9. It is a 6 p.m. start Friday, a doubleheader that begins at 1 p.m. on Saturday, and a single game that starts at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
