ABILENE – Miller Ladusau doubled to bring in the go-ahead run in the eighth,
Tanner Tweedt added insurance with an rbi-single, and the ACU baseball team opened up 2023 with a thrilling 5-3 victory over Nevada on Friday night to begin 1-0 for the fourth-straight season. ACU led 1-0, but then fell behind after four innings before battling all the way back with four unanswered runs. Timely hitting and great pitching out of the bullpen guided the Wildcats to an Opening Day win and their first-ever win over the Wolfpack. The wrap-around series continues on Saturday at 2:05 p.m. at The Crutch.
How It Happened
- Junior right-hander
Tyler Morgan got off to a good start, and so did the offense. Newcomer and Texas A&M transfer
Logan Britt delivered a single up the middle in the bottom of the first to score
Grayson Tatrow, and we were off and running.
- Nevada answered with a solo home run in the top of the second to tie it up, then took the lead the same inning with an rbi-single. The Wolfpack would push their lead to 3-1 in the top of the fourth with another run-scoring single, and ACU was playing from behind.
- ACU responded in the home fifth. After a lead-off triple from
Maddox Miesse,
Crew Parke reached on a throwing error at short, and ACU was a run closer. Two batters later, Tatrow did his job with a sacrifice fly to plate Parke, and it was a tie game at 3-3.
- After Morgan threw the first six innings,
Sam Berberich took over in a tie game and then gave way to
Adam Byrd. The two combined for a scoreless seventh before
Blake Anderson threw the final two innings. Anderson got it to the bottom of the eighth where ACU would take the lead.
- With two outs in the inning, Britt stole second base, then scored on a clutch double down the right field line by Ladusau. The 'Cats took a 4-3 lead, then Tweedt stepped in and singled to plate Ladusau and give ACU a little insurance. Anderson closed it out to seal the win.
Stat Pack
- Britt led the way with a two-hit night and drove in a run as well. Four Wildcats drove in runs Friday.
- Morgan threw six stellar innings, allowing three runs on four hits with five strikeouts. It's the second-straight Opening Day start for the right-hander.
- Berberich threw 0.1 inning while Byrd got the last two outs of the seventh with one being a strikeout. Byrd came in with the bases loaded and one out and got a punch out and a pop out to get out of the jam.
- Anderson got the win in his ACU debut, tossing two scoreless with three strikeouts, all in the eighth.
- Tatrow drew three walks and scored a run. The veteran did not have an official at-bat.
Beyond the Box Score
- ACU is 1-0 for the fourth-straight season. The wins on Opening Day are over Nevada, North Dakota State, Tarleton and Utah Valley.
- Head coach
Rick McCarty earned his 100th career win Friday night. The head man in just beginning his fifth season at ACU and has a regular season championship and a conference tournament runner-up finish to his résumé over the last two seasons.
- ACU finished 6-16 last season when the game was tied after the sixth inning. The 'Cats get a come-from-behind win and a win in late innings to start 2023.
On Deck
- The series continues on Saturday at 2:05 p.m. The game will air on WAC International. RHP
Rolando De La Cruz gets the ball for ACU and goes up against RHP Jason Doktorczyk.
#ATO | #GoWildcats
