ABILENE – Three players hit home runs, five finished with two or more hits, and the ACU baseball team survived an offensive slugfest Tuesday night at Crutcher Scott Field against a 36-win UTSA team, 10-8, in the final home game of the season. The Wildcats (32-20) led 6-0 and 7-1, but UTSA roared back to tie the game after five innings. ACU grabbed the lead in the home sixth and added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth to secure the victory. The teams combined for 18 runs and 26 hits in first-ever meeting between the teams in Abilene. ACU closes out the regular season with a 25-10 record at home, and now turn towards the final three games of the year on the road at Seattle U this weekend.
Record Alert
Grayson Tatrow became ACU's single-season record-holder with his 22nd home run, surpassing Mike Elkerson's 21 from the 2008 campaign.
How It Happened
- ACU got on the scoreboard first with a
Jack Nielsen two-run double to left center field in the bottom of the second inning. It was the first time ACU scored first in a home game since the middle game of the series against Utah Tech.
- It was a four-run bottom of the third inning that began with the historic two-run homer from Tatrow.
Garrett Williams then followed it up with a solo shot and the 'Cats went back-to-back to lead 5-0. Nielsen added to the lead with a sac fly and it was a big 6-0 lead after three.
- The last time ACU led 6-0, Texas Tech stormed back to take the lead and held on for the win over the Wildcats. UTSA stormed back as well to take the lead, but this time ACU responded for the win. The Roadrunners scored a run in the fourth to get on the board, then Williams responded for ACU in the home fourth with an RBI-single. ACU led 7-1 heading to the fifth.
- UTSA answered right back with six runs in the fifth, highlighted by a game-tying grand slam from Taylor Smith. The game was even, 7-7, heading to the sixth, where the visitors took the lead on a strike out swinging and the throw down to first. UTSA led 8-7 in the middle of the sixth.
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Miller Ladusau came up with a clutch swing in the bottom of the sixth to go back in front. He singled through the left side to plate Tatrow and
Logan Britt, giving the 'Cats a 9-8 advantage.
- A key insurance run came from Britt in the bottom of the eighth with a solo home run to get it to the final score of 10-8.
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Zach Smith shut it down in the ninth to secure the save.
Stat Pack
- Five players had multi-hit games, including three players with three hits each (Britt, Williams, and Tatrow). Tatrow and
Maddox Miesse each tallied two hits Tuesday night.
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Jack Nielsen had a career-high three runs batted in to lead the team, while Williams, Ladusau, and Tatrow all drove in a pair. Tatrow filled up the stat sheet with three runs scored and a pair of walks as well.
- ACU used seven pitchers and ultimately 13 total pitchers were used in the game between the teams.
Adam Stephenson got the win (4-2) after throwing 1.1 frames allowing a run on two hits with a pair of strikeouts.
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Max Huffling started the game, followed by
Sam Berberich,
Adam Byrd,
Drake Boggan, Stephenson, Krkovski, and Smith. Smith notched his eighth save of the season.
Beyond the Box Score
- Tatrow has two of the top three single-season home run numbers. His 22 are the most ever in a single season and his 17 in 2022 rank third on that list. Both of his seasons are the most in the Division I history of the program.
- Nielsen had two career RBI coming into Tuesday and tallied three in the game.
On Deck
- The Wildcats will head to the pacific northwest for a three-game series against Seattle U Thursday-Saturday, May 18-20 to close the regular season. All three games air on WAC International. ACU will then head to the WAC Tournament in Mesa, Ariz. for the postseason starting next week.
#ATO | #GoWildcats
