Box Score HAMMOND, La. – ACU trailed 10-0 and 13-3 in the semifinal against Sam Houston Friday night, but fought back valiantly in a game that featured eight home runs and 26 runs scored. The Wildcats fell 14-12 after scoring seven in the eighth, but came up just short, and will be back at it on Saturday for a rematch with the Bearkats at 1 p.m.
Hunter Gieser put together a two-homer, five-RBI performance for the second time this tournament.
Sam Houston struck big in the first two innings, tallying four and six runs, respectively. ACU struck back with a pair in the top of the third when
Colton Eager reached on an error by the short stop with the bases loaded, bringing around
Brett Hammit and
Mitchell Dickson.
Owen Cuffe then came in for
Genner Cervantes, and the freshman was outstanding. He worked 4.2 innings after only pitching 1.2 innings all season. Cuffe allowed four runs, and allowed the team to get good at-bats and try to cut into the deficit.
The Bearkats added another in the fourth with a solo home run, but ACU responded in the top of the fifth when Eager singled up the middle for his first hit and first RBI of the tournament.
Sam Houston added two more on another home run in the home fifth, and held a 13-3 lead at that point.
Hunter Gieser changed that with his third home run of the week in the sixth. After launching two foul balls that both were well deep enough to be homers, he straightened out a 3-2 pitch to right center field for a no-doubter two-run shot. ACU strung together some at-bats in the inning, but left the bases loaded and trailed 13-5.
Then the eighth inning happened.
Brett Hammit demolished his first homer of the tournament to straight left field on the first pitch of the eighth, and Eager followed with a two-run single to make it a 14-8 game, and
Sebastian Randle reached on an error to score another. Then
Hunter Gieser stepped in. The junior is having a massive tournament, and added to it with a mega blast to left-center for a three-run home run to make it a 14-12 game.
Nick Norton then started the bottom of the eighth and then gave way to
Trevor Jackson, and after Sam Houston loaded the bases with two outs, the right-hander got a huge strikeout to send it to the ninth, giving the Wildcats a chance.
ACU had one last opportunity, and after a bang-bang play at first that was ultimately reviewed called
Mitchell Dickson out, Tatrow singled to keep the game alive, but Eager flew out to end it.
Stat Pack
- Cuffe was brilliant in relief, going 4.2 innings, allowing four earned runs on just seven hits with a remarkable nine strikeouts.
- Jackson threw a scoreless inning, striking out three batters.
- Gieser had two more hits, both homers, and five more RBI. This is the second time this tournament Gieser has put together that performance. He now has 10 runs driven in for the tournament and four blasts this week.
- Hammit launched his eighth homer of the season.
- Eager not only had his first hits of the tournament, but drove in three runs as well.
-
Mitchell Dickson tallied three hits, his first knocks of the tourney as well.
Up Next
- ACU takes on Sam Houston again in what amounts to be a second semifinal matchup at 1p.m. The winner moves on to the championship game against McNeese. The game will air on ESPN+. The championship game is set for 6 p.m. Saturday night and also airs on ESPN+.
