ABILENE – The ACU baseball team needed a win Saturday to stay in the thick of the standings race in the WAC, and it delivered with a pivotal 8-4 victory over its rivals from Tarleton at Crutcher Scott Field. The Wildcats (30-20, 14-12 WAC) trailed 3-0 in the middle of the third inning, but scored the next eight runs in the game including five in the fifth inning to pull away.
Tyler Morgan dominated in relief,
Zach Smith got the final out of the game, and ACU walked away with a big win on Senior Day to even the series for the weekend and win its 30th game of the season. Prior to the game the team honored 15 seniors that have dedicated so much time and effort to the program and have now won 103 games in the last three-plus seasons, including 30 wins in three straight seasons for the first time since the program moved to Division I.
How It Happened
- Left-hander
Max Huffling got the start Saturday and got the first five outs for ACU before giving way to Morgan. Tarleton scored two runs in the top of the second off Huffling and hit a solo homer off Morgan in the third to lead 3-0, but ACU would come from behind to get the win.
- The 'Cats responded with two in the home third with runs scoring on a
Garrett Williams sacrifice fly and a
Miller Ladusau infield single to make it a 3-2 game.
- The game got to the home fifth and that's when the momentum changed. ACU scored five runs on three hits in the inning, sending all nine to the plate.
Tanner Tweedt tied the game with an RBI-single, then the go-ahead swing came from
Crew Parke when he doubled down the left field line to score two runs. ACU took the lead, 5-3, and would never trail again. The 'Cats added to it with a
Holden Rook single into right field and a
Logan Britt RBI-groundout. ACU led 7-3 after five.
- The Wildcats made it 8-3 in the bottom of the seventh inning when Britt roped a double into left field to plate Rook.
- Tarleton got a run closer with a run-scoring single in the eighth, but that would be all. Morgan continued to dominate before giving way to
Zach Smith, who got the final out of the ninth to seal the win.
Stat Pack
- Eight Wildcats tallied hits Saturday led by two each from Britt and Rook, and Britt and Parke each led the way with two RBI apiece.
- Huffling got the no-decision in 1.2 innings, allowing two runs on four hits with three strikeouts.
- Morgan was exceptional, tossing 7.0 strong innings allowing two runs, only one earned, on five hits with six strikeouts.
- Smith got the final out to seal it, earning his seventh save of the season.
Beyond the Box Score
- Morgan has been used twice out of the bullpen this week, earning his first two relief outings since March 2021. The seven-inning outing was the longest relief outing of his career and his longest appearance since his seven-inning start on Feb. 25 against Southeast Missouri.
- With a 5-0 fifth inning today, ACU is now outscoring its opponents 55-16 in the fifth this season.
- ACU honored 15 seniors prior to the game: Huffling, Morgan, Smith, Ladusau, Tweedt,
Grayson Tatrow,
Ben Johnson,
Drake Boggan,
Julio Riggs,
Austin Glaze,
Breck Eichelberger,
Sam Berberich,
Adam Stephenson,
Cal Strandt, and Katy Gill.
On Deck
- The Wildcats will go for the series win in the rubber match on Sunday, May 14. First pitch is set for 1:05 p.m. on WAC International.
#ATO | #GoWildcats
