ABILENE — Abilene Christian softball looks to continue its WAC winning streak this weekend at Utah Valley. The Wildcats are coming off a home sweep of Southern Utah and hope to duplicate their efforts vs. a Wolverine squad that has dropped its last four decisions.
Based in Orem, the Wolverines (8-18) also have lost several games to weather this season, including Tuesday's non-conference tilt at Utah. They also decided earlier in the week to adjust the Wildcats' series schedule to avoid snow. The two sides are slated to play once Friday at 4 p.m. local time (5 p.m. CT) and start an April 1 doubleheader at 1 p.m. MT / 2 p.m. CT.
Friday's high is expected to reach 44, and hit 55 on Saturday. Despite this ACU head coach
Abigail Farler knows her team can't use the weather as an excuse.
"We can't allow the weather to give UVU a home-field advantage," she said. "Their field is turfed in the outfield and is dirt around the infield, so they'll be working hard to have their place ready to go. They have a lot of skin in the game, so we have to just go out there and be the toughest version of ourselves."
The Wildcats' grit was on full display last weekend at Poly Wells, where they topped the SUU Thunderbirds by scores of 3-2, 5-4 and 5-1 to even their WAC record at 3-3. ACU won the first contest in walkoff fashion, received a game-winning home run from veteran
Avery Miloch in the fifth inning of game two, and took full advantage of
Talia Nielsen's pitching prowess a second time to win Sunday's matinee.
Nielsen's two complete-game victories, coupled with her 1.50 ERA, eight strikeouts and sensational 14/3 fly-to-ground ball ratio resulted in her winning the WAC's Softball Pitcher of the Week award.
Nielsen on Saturday utilized a relentless West Texas wind with the spin of her rise and screw balls to keep the Thunderbirds at bay. She induced 14 fly balls that afternoon, which helped her take a perfect game into the fifth and no-hitter into the seventh.
"The spin I was getting on my pitches resulted in better outcomes," said Nielsen, a native of Bakersfield, Calif. "I was getting a lot of balls up in the air, which made it easier for the outfielders."
Nielsen, unfortunately, fell short in her bid at ACU immortality with a 10-pitch walk to Bella Garcia in the fifth, then temporarily lost the lead when pinch hitter Riley Nielson (with an 'o') slammed a game-tying two-run shot in the seventh.
"I started to get a sense of what was happening in the fourth inning," said Nielsen of her efficient 72-pitch performance, "and just had to continue staying calm after the walk. Even after they hit the home run, I knew we were going to win. I focused on getting those last two outs so we could win on a walkout."
"I went out to the circle feeling nothing but empathy," added Farler. "I knew it was disappointing and frustrating, but said we're still going to have a cool story to tell when we walk it off."
Shortstop
Logan Gaspar, who was the Wildcats' leading hitter last week with a .500 (5-10) batting average, led off the ACU seventh with a double to the right-center gap, advanced to third on a passed ball, and scored with ease on
Mercedes Eichelberger's fly ball to center field.
Gaspar also anchored ACU's defense, which only committed one error last weekend while registering 63 putouts and 17 assists. Twelve of those assists came during a tremendous second game pitched by
Bubba Rote (win) and Laurén Schiek (save).
"Logan's awareness was sharp all weekend," said Farler. "She really was in rhythm with what to do or where to go on every pitch. She and the rest of the infielders were ready for the hard grounders and make the throw."
UVU sits a game behind the Wildcats in the WAC standings at 2-4. The Wolverines won their first conference series earlier this month vs. New Mexico State but lost all three at Sam Houston State by scores of 13-3, 4-0 and 10-2.
The Wolverines are hitting .249 as a team behind 3.85 runs per game, while their earned run average is 4.76. By comparison, ACU, is hitting .260 (fourth in the WAC) with a conference-ranked third 39 doubles and .350 on-base percentage.
UVU's offense is paced by Megan Gibbs who has a .597 slugging percentage to go with her five home runs. And in the circle, Katie Zuniga is No. 3 in the WAC with a 3.78 K:BB ratio and 1.02 walks allowed per 7.0 IP.
"Line by line, UVU looks to be a good test for us," said Farler. "On paper we match up well with them in many of the same statistical categories."
Miloch ranks fourth in the WAC with her team-leading eight home runs, and
Sammie Shelander ranks first in the league (12th NCAA) with four sacrifice flies. She had one last weekend vs. the Thunderbirds.
ACU flies to Utah Thursday and will hold a quick practice in Salt Lake City before driving 45 minutes south to Orem.
