Wildcats Split at Tarleton State

STEPHENVILLE – Abilene Christian bounced back from an 8-5 loss in the first game to leave Tarleton State with a split and a 7-6 win in the second game of a Western Athletic Conference doubleheader on Tuesday.
 
The Texans scored six times in the first inning of the first game and held off the Wildcats from there.
 
Down 7-0, Olivia Marble got ACU on the scoreboard in the fifth inning with an RBI single.
 
The Wildcats added four more runs in the sixth on RBI doubles by Elizabeth Schaefer and Kaydee Bennett and a two-run single by Miranda Lista.
 
Marble led ACU's seven-hit attack with two hits and Sammie Shelander added a single.
 
Talia Nielsen took the loss. Lina Russo allowed one earned run over 5.1 innings of relief.
 
The Cats rebounded for a win in the second despite twice trailing by two runs.
 
Down 2-0, ACU got on the scoreboard in the third inning and took the lead with a two-run single by Schaefer and a sacrifice fly by Sydney Kaiser.
 
Tarleton State retook the lead, 5-3, until ACU tied it in the fifth on an RBI triple by Catrin Hoffman and an RBI double by Lista.
 
ACU took a 7-5 lead with two runs in the sixth on a two-run single by Riley White.
 
Tarleton State scored a run in the sixth and had the tying run in scoring position but Russo entered the game and pitched a scoreless seventh for her first save. Emma Beeman struck out four over 5.2 innings to get the win.
 
ACU had 12 hits in the game, led by Bubba Rote with three. Bennett and Schaefer had two each while Marble, Shelander, Lista, Hoffman and White added one apiece.
 
The Wildcats return home for a three-game series with Utah Valley, starting with a 2 p.m. doubleheader on Thursday.