ABILENE – Tanner Tweedt launched three homers and drove in nine runs, six players recorded multiple hits, and the ACU baseball team won a wildly high-scoring affair Friday night, topping Grand Canyon, 16-14. The Wildcats (24-9, 9-5 WAC) totaled 18 hits, including Tweedt's record-setting night. The senior's three home runs tied a program record, and his nine RBI set a new single-game mark at ACU. The 'Cats took the opener from the Lopes (18-15, 9-7 WAC), and now set their sight on a series win on Saturday afternoon. ACU has now won three in a row against GCU, taking the first meeting in Abilene between the teams since 2014.
How It Happened
- There were only six half-innings Friday night that had zeros on the scoreboard. GCU jumped on the board in the first with a two-run double from Eli Paton, and the Lopes led early.
- ACU responded with three in the home first on a
Grayson Tatrow single and the first Tweedt homer of the night. The 'Cats led 3-2, and we were just getting started.
- GCU tied it up in the second with a solo shot and took the lead in the third with a two-run home run. It was 5-3 Lopes heading to the bottom of the third.
- Tatrow and Tweedt then went back-to-back with homers in the third to tie it right back up at 5-5, and the runs just kept on coming.
- GCU scored three more times in the fourth to lead 8-5, but that would be final lead for the visitors on Friday.
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Logan Britt drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the home fourth, then Tweedt followed it up with a two-run single. ACU added one more on a weird play that featured a pair of GCU errors on throws. Tatrow and Tweedt both scored, and ACU led 10-8 after just four innings.
- Tweedt's third homer of the night was a three-run blast in the fifth to go up 13-8, and then a wild pitch, a groundout, and a fielder's choice plated runs in the sixth inning to double up the Lopes, 16-8.
- GCU answered with two in the seventh and four in the eighth, but it was not enough.
Zach Smith closed the door in the ninth to preserve the high-scoring, 16-14, win.
Stat Pack
- Tweedt launched three home runs and a single for his four-hit night, driving in a ridiculous nine runs. The catcher scored four times as well Friday night.
- Williams went 3-5 on the night and drew a walk as well. The first basemen scored three times as well.
- Tatrow had a three-hit night with a pair of RBI, and he matched Tweedt with a team-best four runs scored. Tatrow's home run was his 10th of the season and the 37th of his season.
- Miesse, Randle, and Rook all had two hits each, while
Miller Ladusau drew a pair of walks.
- Morgan went 3.2 innings, his shortest outing of the season, and allowed eight runs on seven hits with four strikeouts.
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Sam Berberich got the win (1-0), getting the final out of the fourth inning, facing just the one batter.
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Adam Stephenson threw 3.1 innings out of the bullpen, allowing six runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts.
- Smith got the save, his fourth of the year, going 1.2 scoreless innings to seal the win.
Beyond the Box Score
- Tweedt's three home runs match a program record;
Logan Britt hit three homers on March 31 against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Luis Treviño hit three against New Orleans in 2019, and Joel Wells hit three against Tarleton in 2006. Tweedt now has three multi-homer games in his career and two this season. He hit two homers on March 12 against Stephen F. Austin.
- The nine RBI from Tweedt set a new single-game best in program history.
Colton Eager (2021 vs. Arkansas State) and Matt McGuire (2007 vs. Southeast Oklahoma State) previously shared the record of eight.
- ACU has now scored 31 runs on 32 hits in the last two games against GCU.
- Friday marked the 17th time this season ACU had double-digit hits in a game; the 18 are the second-most this season behind the 22 on March 26 against Sacramento State.
On Deck
- Game two of the series is set for 3:05 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. RHP
Breck Eichelberger (4-1, 5.63 ERA) gets the ball for ACU against GCU's RHP Daniel Avitia (4-1, 4.01 ERA). The game will air on ESPN+.
#ATO | #GoWildcats
