ABILENE – It's a series win for the ACU baseball team after a high-scoring, 12-8 victory over SFA in game two of the weekend Saturday afternoon at Crutcher Scott Field. The Wildcats (10-8, 3-2 WAC) are back over .500 in league play, and go for the sweep Sunday after a back-and-forth game two. ACU got an early 3-0 lead, SFA tied it, ACU went back up 6-3, SFA went in front 7-6, ACU then led 8-6, SFA tied it, then ACU took the lead for good. It was a wild, offensive-oriented game that featured two ties an and two lead changes between two long-time rivals. Seven players tallied hits, and the same seven drove in runs in the victory.
How It Happened
- The game started out as more of a pitching matchup, as both starters tossed two scoreless innings. That all changed in the third when
Grayson Tatrow singled into right to score
Brett Hammit.
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Colton Eager followed it up with a two-run single to score
Mitchell Dickson and Tatrow, and ACU led 3-0.
- SFA answered in the top of the fourth with a three-run homer off ACU starter
Breck Eichelberger.
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Aaron Staehely got the lead back with an rbi-groundout to score
Bash Randle.
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Brett Hammit then put a ball onto Judge Ely Blvd after demolishing a ball to left field. The two-run shot gave ACU a 6-3 lead.
- SFA answered with a four-run fifth to lead 7-6, but three of those runs were unearned against Eichelberger after an error in left plated three runs. SFA led 7-6 halfway through the game.
- ACU responded in the home fifth with an rbi-single into right center off the bat of
Tommy Cruz.
Miller Ladusau then backed that up with a sacrifice fly to score Cruz. ACU led 8-7 after five.
- SFA equalized the game again, this time in the top of the sixth, with a sac fly to even it up at 8-8.
- ACU responded with three in the home seventh with a two-run single from Cruz, and a run-scoring single from Ladusau. The lead was 11-8, and ACU would not look back.
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Bash Randle gave ACU its final insurance run with a single to score Tatrow. ACU held on 12-8 with Tanner RIley shutting down the SFA offense in the final three innings.
Stat Pack
- The Wildcats recorded 17 hits on the day, led by three apiece from Tatrow, Eager, Randle, and Ladusau.
- Cruz led ACU with three RBI on the day, while Tatrow led the 'Cats with four runs scored.
- Cruz and Hammit tallied two hits, giving ACU six players with multi-hit days.
- Eager, Ladusau, and Hammit each drove in two runs.
- Eichelberger allowed just three earned, seven in total, in five innings of work. The right-hander recorded five strikeouts.
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Max Huffling pitched an inning, allowing a run on one hit.
- Riley got the win in relief, moving to 2-0 on the season, and pitched three innings out of the 'pen, allowing no runs on just one hit with four strikeouts.
Beyond the Box Score
- The 17 hits are the second-most in a game this season behind the 22-hit game against Marist.
- It is the seventh multi-hit games for both Tatrow and Eager, and the sixth such game for Randle. It is the fourth multi-hit game for Ladusau. Cruz picked up his fifth multi-hit day, while Hammit had his second multi-hit game.
Up Next
- The series wraps up with the finale on Sunday, March 20. ACU goes for the sweep at 1:05 p.m. at Crutcher Scott Field.
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