'Cats put it all together to even the series at UTA

ARLINGTON – Garrett Williams and Grayson Tatrow combined for seven hits, Breck Eichelberger dominated in the start on the mound, and the ACU baseball team rebounded with a 6-4 victory over UT Arlington on Saturday to earn a split of the series through the first two games. The Wildcats (15-4, 4-1 WAC) led 4-0 after three innings, and despite giving up three in the bottom of the eighth, bounced back with two in the ninth to hold on for the two-run victory over the Mavericks (8-11, 3-2 WAC). Starting pitching and timely hitting was the key as ACU gets back in the column, and can now set it sights towards a series win on Sunday in the rubber match. The series finale gets underway at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

How It Happened
- ACU, like it did on Friday night, jumped out to the early lead. After a scoreless first, ACU loaded the bases with no one out in the top of the second inning. Eric Martin took a base on balls to force in the first run of the day, and two batters later Bash Randle drove in one with a sacrfice fly. Williams then singled in Miesse to push the advantage to 3-0 after an inning and a half.
- Tatrow launched a solo home run to left center field on a 3-2 count in the top of the third, and it was a tremendous 4-0 start for the 'Cats, especially with Eichelberger dealing.
- The right-hander was cruising on the mound for ACU, keeping the Mavericks scoreless in his seven innings.
- After ACU scored in the top of the third, there were 10 straight zeros on the scoreboard until the bottom of the eighth inning. The pitching was excellent on both sides.
- UTA fought back in the bottom of the eighth, however. The Mavericks got a two-run home run from Ben Lumsden and a solo shot from Tyson Pointer to make it a 4-3 game heading to the ninth. However, the 'Cats would respond with some quality insurance.
- Bash Randle got the ninth started with a single and an advance on a wild pitch to second base. Williams then knocked him in for a big fifth run to go back up two. Later in the inning with Logan Britt at second base, Tanner Tweedt reached on an error, allowing Britt to score, to make it a 6-3 lead for ACU. The Mavericks were down to their final three outs trailing by three.
- UTA saw Lumsden hit another home run, this one a solo blast, in the bottom of the ninth, but it was not enough as ACU held on, 6-4.

Stat Pack
- Eichelberger went 7.0 strong allowing no runs on four hits with four strikeouts. The right-hander threw 89 pitches and faced 26 batters.
- Blake Anderson threw the eighth inning and allowed three runs on three hits with a pair of strikeouts.
- Drake Boggan got the save, his first of the season, after throwing a one-run ninth on one hit with one strikeout.
- Williams' four hits and two runs driven led ACU, while Tatrow was right behind with three knocks and a run driven in.
- Tatrow tallied his third homer of the year, matching Tweedt for the second-most on the team.
- Maddox Miesse recorded a pair of hits and Tatrow added two runs scored.

Beyond the Box Score
- It was the best start of Eichelberger's ACU career. The senior's 7.0 innings is his longest outing as a Wildcat and ties the longest outing by any starter this season. It is the longest outing by a starter in a nine-inning game this season (Tyler Morgan threw a seven-inning complete game against Southeast Missouri). The scorless start was also a first for Eichelberger in his time at ACU.
- The four hits match a season-best for Williams; the junior also had four knocks on March 4 against Houston Christian.

On Deck
- Game three of the series is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday on ESPN+. RHP Austin Glaze (1-0, 3.07 ERA) gets the ball for ACU and goes against LHP Caden Noah (2-0, 3.20 ERA) for UT Arlington.