ABILENE – Transfer
Logan Britt recorded four hits, the team totaled 16 hits for the game, but ACU dropped a 9-7 decision to Nevada in game three of the series on Sunday. The Wolfpack rallied with five runs in the final two innings to go up 9-5, and despite a pair of solo homers in the ninth, the Wildcats (2-1) came up two runs short. ACU trailed 4-1 after three innings, rallied to tie it in the fourth, took the lead in the seventh, but Nevada came back to take the lead and held on for the win. The teams will play game four to wrap up the series on Monday afternoon at 12:05 p.m.
How It Happened
- ACU handed the ball to
Breck Eichelberger, who returns from injury this season, and the veteran right-hander got off to a good start through two innings. He would then get a little help from his offense in the home second.
- After a very unfortunate line-out double play, the bases were empty and there were two outs. That didn't stop ACU.
Garrett Williams singled up the middle and
Jake Skaggs followed with a single through the right side of the infield. With runners on the corners,
Maddox Miesse singled on the infield down the third-base line, everyone was safe, and the first run of the game was scored. ACU led 2-0 after two frames.
- Nevada responded with a four-run third capped by a three-run homer from Derek Tenney, and the Wolfpack built up a 4-1 advantage. ACU would respond in the bottom of the fourth.
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Miller Ladusau led the inning off with a double into left center field, and would come into score two batters later on a double from Skaggs. The big swing of the inning was a two-run shot from
Crew Parke and the game was tied 4-4 at that point. ACU scored three runs on three hits in the inning to even it up and start fresh heading to the fifth.
- Pitchers
Luke Krkovski and
Adam Byrd combined for a scoreless two-inning stretch to keep the game tied heading to the seventh-inning stretch. ACU would capitalize in the home seventh to take the lead.
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Bash Randle would lead the inning off with a single, and two batters later advanced to second on a passed ball. After a
Logan Britt single and a stolen base, ACU had runners at second and third with one away.
Tanner Tweedt, who was moved up to the cleanup spot in the lineup Sunday, stepped in and singled through the left side of the infield for an rbi to score Randle. ACU led 5-4 heading to the eighth inning.
- Nevada answered with a three-run blast in the top of the eighth, and added two more with a sacrifice fly and an rbi-single in the ninth. The Wolfpack led 9-5 heading to the last of the ninth.
- ACU would not go down without a fight, though. With one out, Britt homered to right field to cut it to 9-6, and with two away in the inning,
Miller Ladusau launched a solo shot to dead center field. ACU trailed 9-7, and
Garrett Williams singled to bring the tying run to the plate. Skaggs struck out, however, and the wild game came to a close.
Stat Pack
- Eichelberger went 5.0 innings in the no-decision, allowing four runs on five hits with nine strikeouts.
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Adam Stephenson took the loss out of the bullpen, allowing two runs on a hit.
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Blake Anderson,
Sam Berberich, and
Zach Smith all saw time out of the bullpen Sunday.
- Britt led the way with four hits, while Tweedt, Ladusau, Williams, Skaggs, and Parke all tallied two each.
- Britt, Parke, and Ladusau all tallied their first homers of the season.
- ACU outhit Nevada 16-11, but left nine on base Sunday.
Beyond the Box Score
- Eichelberger's nine strikeouts are his most in an ACU uniform; the right-hander is in his second season with the Wildcats.
- The game was three hours, nine minutes long. It is the first game of the young season to reach the three-hour mark.
On Deck
- The series wraps up on Monday at 12:05 p.m. at The Crutch. The game will air on ESPN+. Pitchers are to be determined.
#ATO | #GoWildcats
