ABILENE – Junior
Logan Britt drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth, veteran right-hander
Tyler Morgan tallied a new season-best 11 strikeouts, and the ACU baseball team came from behind to top SFA to open WAC play on Friday night at The Crutch. The Wildcats (11-3, 1-0 WAC) scored three runs in the sixth inning to take a 3-2 lead, and then scored four times in the eighth inning to come back and win, 7-4. It was more late-inning drama at Crutcher Scott Field, as ACU moves to 10-3 at home on the young season. The 'Cats will go for the series win on Saturday at 3:05 p.m.
How It Happened
- After a scoreless first two innings for Morgan, SFA took the lead in the top of the third on a passed ball by ACU catcher
Tanner Tweedt. The Lumberjacks led 1-0 all the way to the top of the fifth.
- Morgan, who was dominating on the mound, did leave one pitch in the middle fo the plate and SFA's Alex Rodgers jumped on it and drove it into center field and it bounced off the ball. Rodgers went all the way around the bases for an inside-the-park homer to put the visitors in front, 2-0.
- ACU was getting shut out offensively on just one hit, but eventually found some offense in the home sixth. After a pitching change to start the inning, senior
Grayson Tatrow led the inning off with a walk. It was an adventurous inning for Tatrow, who then read a wild pitch and went all the way from first to third to get into scoring position with no out out. He then scored on a wild pitch to reset the inning and get ACU on the board.
-
Maddox Miesse, just the second batter of the inning, tripled down the line in right field, and the tying run was 90 feet away with no one out. Two batters later,
Crew Parke singled home Miesse to tie it up.
Miller Ladusau would then come up with a clutch hit with an rbi-single into right to take the lead. ACU was back in front for Morgan, 3-2.
-
Drake Boggan took over in the seventh, but gave up the lead ACU just took. SFA took the lead with a two-run single from Tom Biggs, and it was a 4-3 SFA advantage. ACU would need some late-inning magic again. Enter the home eighth.
- ACU put the first two on via a walk and a hit by pitch, and after a wild pitch moved the runners over to second and third,
Garrett Williams did his job with a sacrifice fly to center field to tie the game, 4-4. After a Ladusau groundout, it was Britt's turn, and the junior delivered with his only hit of the game. His singled into center scored pinch-runner
Holden Rook to take the 5-4 advantage. Tatrow then added some insurance with a two-run double down the line in right, and all of a sudden the 'Cats had their largest lead at 7-4.
-
Blake Anderson, who took over in the seventh inning, delivered with a scoreless ninth to secure the win.
Stat Pack
- Morgan was spectacular in the start, going 6.0 innings of two-run baseball (one earned) on six hits and a season-best 11 strikeouts.
- Boggan went just 0.2 innings allowing two earned on three hits, but Anderson took over to get the final out of the seventh, and got the win (3-0) after throwing 2.1 inning of scoreless ball on one hit with four strikeouts.
- Ladusau and Miesse led the way with two hits apiece, while Tatrow's two runs driven in led the 'Cats. Parke led the team with two runs scored Friday.
Beyond the Box Score
- Morgan now has three games in his career with double-digit strikeouts, including each of his last two starts. The 11 K's on Friday are a new career-high after striking out 10 HCU Huskies last Friday night. The right-hander has 21 strikeouts in his last two outings.
- ACU's three pitchers struck out a combined 16 batters Friday night, a new season-high.
- ACU has now won seven straight games against SFA, all coming in the last calendar year. The Wildcats went 6-0 against the Lumberjacks last season.
On Deck
- Game two of the series gets underway at 3:05 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. Right-hander
Breck Eichelberger (1-0, 7.20 ERA) goes for ACU against right-hander Cade Stapleton (0-2, 4.50 ERA) for SFA. The game will air on WAC International and on the radio on the ACU Sports Network.
#ATO | #GoWildcats
