ABILENE – Junior
Miller Ladusau matched a career-high with four hits, the team matched its highest hit total of the season at 16, and the ACU baseball program picked up a series win on Saturday over Stephen F. Austin, topping the Lumberjacks in game two, 11-6. The Wildcats (12-3, 2-0 WAC) built up an early lead, and after SFA (6-9, 0-2 WAC) got close in the late innings, the 'Cats scored three more in the home eighth to put the game away.
Luke Krkovski was excellent in relief to earn the win, and the Wildcats will now look for a series sweep on Sunday afternoon at 1:05 p.m.
How It Happened
- SFA jumped out to a 1-0 lead off starter
Breck Eichelberger, but the right-hander got a double-play ball to keep the game 1-0 heading to the home first.
- The first inning was great to the ACU offense.
Grayson Tatrow singled on the infield with the bases loaded to plate the first run, and
Maddox Miesse benefited from an error at third base to reach, and ACU led 2-1.
Eric Martin brought home the third run of the inning with a sacrifice fly, and
Crew Parke drove in the fourth with a single. It was an early 4-1 advantage for the 'Cats.
- ACU benefited from a wild pitch in the home second inning to plate
Logan Britt, and it looked like the 'Cats would cruise, up 5-1. However, SFA answered with two in the third inning, and there were eight runs scored in the first three frames on Saturday.
- Britt created more opportunities in the bottom of the fourth. He took off for second base, and the throw down to second base got away, allowing
Garrett Williams to score from third. Britt ended up at the third on the play, and ACU pushed its lead to 6-3. Britt then did his thing in the bottom of the sixth inning, launching a two-run home run to go up 8-3. It definitely appeared as though the 'Cats would run away. That was not the case.
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Luke Krkovski was excellent in relief of Eichelberger, going four innings, but SFA did launch a three-run home run off
Adam Stephenson in the eighth inning to get back in the game, 8-6. The Wildcats were looking at a stressful ninth, unless they could score in the eighth. Spoiler alert, they did.
- Tatrow delivered with an rbi-single into right field, and then
Holden Rook, who pinch-hit earlier in the day, stepped in and launched a ball that just missed getting out of the park in left field. It hit the top of the wall and two runs came into score. ACU pushed its lead to 11-6, taking all the drama out of the game.
Stat Pack
- Eichelberger went 3.1 innings in the start, allowing three earned on six hits with three strikeouts.
- Krkovski got the win (2-0), tossing 4.0 innings of one-run ball on two hits with five strikeouts. The lefty was spectacular Saturday.
- Ladusau tallied four hits to lead ACU, scoring three runs on Saturday as well, also a team-best.
- Tatrow went 3-4 with a pair of runs batted in, while Williams, Britt, Tweedt, and Rook all tallied two hits apiece.
- Britt's home run was the third of the season for the Texas A&M transfer, while Rook's two RBI were the first two of his ACU career.
Beyond the Box Score
- Ladusau matches a career-best with four hits. The last time Ladusau had four hits in a game was on May 20, 2021, ironically against SFA.
- Britt's two-run home run was the first non-solo shot of his ACU career. The previous two homers for Britt were both solo blasts.
- ACU has now won eight in a row against SFA dating back to last season; ACU went 6-0 against the Lumberjacks last year.
On Deck
- The finale on Sunday gets underway at 1:05 p.m. at Crutcher Scott Field and airs on WAC International. RHP
Austin Glaze (1-0, 4.22 ERA) goes for ACU against RHP Conner Woods (0-1, 3.50 ERA) for SFA.
#ATO | #GoWildcats
