MESA, Ariz. – Bottom of the ninth. Tie game. No one out. Bases loaded. It's what you dream of. And
Tommy Cruz made it reality. The Wildcat designated hitter stepped in the box, and singled up the middle to walk off on No. 1 seed Grand Canyon, giving No. 4 seed ACU a win in the early morning hours at Hohokam Stadium. The Wildcats (29-28) and Lopes (41-18) were tied multiple times throughout the night, but it was Cruz who delivered late to keep ACU alive in the WAC Tournament, and advance them to the semifinal round on Saturday, where they will match up with GCU for a third time this week.
How It Happened
- This game was wild.
Max Huffling got the ball for ACU, and the left-hander got off to a good start. The sophomore ran into some trouble in the third, when GCU scored with the bases loaded two times in a row, first on a hit batsman, and second on a walk. The 'Cats trailed 2-0.
- ACU, the home team, despite being the lower seed, responded in the bottom of the third inning.
Mitchell Dickson fought hard and singled down the right field line to score
Bash Randle to get the Wildcats on the board. ACU trailed 2-1 after three.
- Things changed in the fourth inning.
Hunter Gieser, who has had clutch at-bats all week, roped a double into left field, scoring
Bryson Hill in the process, and tying the game. That was followed by a
Bash Randle double to right field that was inches away from being a home run, scoring Gieser and
Tanner Tweedt to give ACU a 4-2 lead.
- The scored stayed 4-2 until the sixth inning when Grand Canyon with a double and a single off
Tanner Riley to tie the ballgame. More on Riley later, though.
- ACU recaptured the lead in the seventh when
Miller Ladusau launched a solo home run to right center field, giving the 'Cats a 5-4 advantage.
- GCU responded, however, with a run in the top of the eighth. The Lopes loaded the bases in the seventh and eighth innings, both times with no outs. In the eighth, they bounced into a fielder's choice to bring home the tying run.
- The game was 5-5 until Cruz delivered in the ninth. ACU sent the top of its lineup to the plate in the ninth, and Dickson got the frame off to a good start with a single through the right side.
Grayson Tatrow then came up with his first hit of the tournament to put runners on the corners, and GCU then intentionally walked Eager to get to Cruz. Cruz came through with the walk-off single, and ACU lives to fight another day.
Stat Pack
- Huffling went the first 4.2 innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits with six strikeouts. It was a 91-pitch game for Huffling, a career-high.
- Riley was incredible out of the bullpen. The Wildcat closer earned the win, going the final 4.1 innings, matching a career-long in one outing. Riley allowed two earned on five hits with six strikeouts. The Clyde native threw a career-high 93 pitches, and worked out of countless jams to keep ACU in the game.
- Dickson and Randle each tallied three hits to lead the offense, and Dickson got on base four times in total with a walk as well. Randle drove in two for ACU.
- Hill reached base three times with two hits and a walk.
- Cruz had struck out three times in his first four at-bats before delivering the game's walk-off hit.
Beyond the Box Score
- After using five pitchers against GCU in the opening round of the tournament on Wednesday, ACU has used just five total pitchers since.
Genner Cervantes through a complete game against Seattle U,
Adam Stephenson and
Carter Sells combined to shut down Lamar, and Huffling and Riley dominated against GCU. It's a remarkable turnaround for the pitching staff.
- It is the first walk-off win for ACU this season.
- ACU will play in the semifinal round of the conference tournament for the second-consecutive season.
- The home run for Ladusau was his third of the season, and his first since April 26 against No. 9 Texas Tech.
On Deck
- The Wildcats have now worked their way back to the championship side of the bracket, and will face Grand Canyon for a third time this week. It is in the semifinal round on Saturday, May 28 at 3 p.m. CT / 1 p.m. PT. A win would move ACU into the championship game at 8 p.m. CT / 6 p.m. CT against New Mexico State. Both games on Saturday will air on ESPN+.
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