ABILENE – Sunday was exactly what the doctor ordered for the ACU baseball team, as it came out of the weekend with an 18-2 drubbing of Tarleton to wrap up the series with a victory. The Wildcats (12-11, 5-4 WAC) came out of the gate strong, scoring seven runs in the first innings, and used multiple big innings and dominant pitching to run away in a run-rule shortened seven-inning game. ACU tallied 13 hits against Tarleton (9-13, 5-4 WAC) pitching, and nine different players recorded a hit in the game.
How It Happened
- ACU loaded the bases without an out in the bottom of the first, and the scoring got started with
Bash Randle getting hit by a pitch to score
Mitchell Dickson.
Miller Ladusau followed that with a sacrifice fly to left field, and the 'Cats led 2-0.
- The game broke open incredibly early when
Tanner Tweedt launched a three-run home run to put ACU in front, 5-0.
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Hunter Gieser, getting the start at first base for
Tommy Cruz, put a bow on the first inning with a two-run blast to put the Wildcats in front, 7-0.
- Tarleton scored one in the second inning on a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded, but outside of that
Genner Cervantes held the potent Texan offense in check.
- ACU would plate four more in the third inning, beginning with a wild pitch that plated
Brett Hammit.
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Colton Eager singled into center and advanced on an error, scoring Dickson and
Grayson Tatrow on the play. The lead was now 10-1.
- Randle added to the lead with a double down the line in right to score Eager, capping the four-run inning.
- Tarleton scored its final run in the top of the fourth on an rbi-groundout.
- ACU got the run right back in the bottom of the fourth with a single from Hammit, plating Tweedt.
- Dickson plated a run with a sacrifice fly, and Tatrow added two more with a double into right center field.
- ACU scored four more in the sixth inning to make the run-rule even more likely, beginning with a pinch-hit, rbi-single from
Aaron Staehely. Eager and Ladusau would also single to push the lead to 18-2.
Stat Pack
- Eager led ACU with three hits and matched Tweedt with a team-high three RBI. Eager reached four times and scored three runs Sunday.
- Dickson recorded two hits, scored twice, and drove in one.
- Randle tallied two hits with two driven in and a run scored.
- Tweedt's one hit was a loud one with the three-run homer.
- Tatrow, Ladusau, and Gieser each drove in two runs.
- Hammit and Eager scored three times, while Dickson, Tatrow, Tweedt, Gieser, and
Bryson Hill all scored twice.
- ACU drew nine walks and were hit by the pitch twice.
- Cervantes got the win, moving to 1-2 on the season. It was a stellar outing, going 4.0 innings, allowing one earned run on two hits with a career-high eight strikeouts.
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Adam Stephenson pitched an inning out of the bullpen, throwing a scoreless frame on two hits.
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Austin Glaze was back for ACU, and in his first outing of the season, threw a scoreless sixth inning with two strikeouts.
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Zach Smith tossed a scoreless seventh for ACU as well.
Beyond the Box Score
- Dickson's reached base streak is up to 17 games, while Tatrow has reached base safely in 15 games.
- The 18 runs scored are the second-most this season, behind the March 5 performance of 23 runs against Marist.
- The nine walks taken are the most in a game this season for ACU, and the most in a game since the team took 10 against Houston Baptist on April 30, 2021.
Up Next
- ACU will have its rematch with No. 19 TCU next Tuesday, March 29. First pitch in Fort Worth is slated for 6 p.m. The game airs on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and 102.7 The Bear.
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