ABILENE – Junior
Bash Randle tallied three hits, junior
Garrett Williams drove in three runs, and the ACU baseball team used big scoring in the first two innings to pull away and defeat Nevada, 7-3, in the finale on Monday to win the series 3-1. The Wildcats built up an early 6-1 lead through two innings of play, then used the bullpen game to hold on for the victory.
Austin Glaze got the ball to start the game, and the veteran right-hander earned the win as ACU starts a season at least 3-1 for the third time under fifth-year head coach
Rick McCarty. The Wildcats will head to Arlington for a historic matchup against Oklahoma on Wednesday night at 6:05 p.m.
How It Happened
- The scoring started very early Monday. After a
Grayson Tatrow walk,
Logan Britt then singled him over to third base, only to steal second himself and set up runners at second and third with one out. Despite a strikeout for the second out, Williams stepped in and drove in both runs with a single up the middle, and the 'Cats led 2-0.
- Nevada responded with a solo home run off Glaze to cut it to a 2-1 game.
- The top of the order was at it again in the home second. Randle singled, Tatrow walked again, and Britt then singled home a run through the left side to go up 3-1.
Tanner Tweedt was then hit by a pitch to load the bases, and two runs would come in to score on back-to-back wild pitches the next at-bat. Williams would then add to the fun with a run-scoring single, and it was a 6-1 lead after two long innings.
- After four-straight scoreless innings, Nevada cut into the lead in the top of the seventh with a sacrifice fly and an rbi-groundout. It was 6-3 at stretch time at The Crutch.
- Randle added insurance with his first homer of the season in the bottom of the eighth, and the 'Cats won, 7-3.
Stat Pack
- Glaze earned the win after going the first three innings, allowing just one run on only one hit with five strikeouts.
- Local youngster
Brooks Gay threw the next two frames of scoreless ball on just one hit with his first career strikeout.
-
Holt Gibson, a freshman right-hander out of Lubbock, tossed a scoreless sixth with his first career strikeout as well.
- Another local product,
Blaine Palmer (Buffalo Gap), threw 0.2 innings, allowing a pair of runs on two hits Monday.
- Veteran
Zach Smith threw 1.1 innings of scoreless ball with a pair of strikeouts, and
Max Huffling threw the ninth inning in a non-save opportunity.
- Randle tallied his first three-hit game of the season and scored a pair of runs and drove in one on his first homer of the season.
- Britt, the WAC Hitter of the Week, moved his average to .588 for the young season with two more hits Monday.
- Williams drove in three runs on a pair of hits as well.
Beyond the Box Score
- Randle tallied the ninth three-hit game of his career, while Williams is the first player with three RBI in a game this season for ACU.
- ACU is now 5-4 against the Mountain West Conference over the last two seasons. ACU went 0-2 against Air Force, 2-1 against Fresno State, and now 3-1 against Nevada.
On Deck
- The Wildcats will take on Oklahoma on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 6:05 p.m. inside Globe Life Field in Arlington, the home of the MLB's Texas Rangers. The game will air on radio on the ACU Sports Network.
#ATO | #GoWildcats
