ABILENE – Abilene Christian split a doubleheader with Utah Valley, winning the opener 10-2 before a late rally came up short in a 5-4 loss in the second game.
ACU scored its first run of the game on a triple play. With bases loaded,
Elizabeth Schaefer flew out to center field on a ball that looked like it might drop. The runner at second was caught off base and
Kaydee Bennett tagged and scored from third ahead of a throw home. The ACU runner at first then attempted to take second on that throw was gunned down.
Angelique Mann homered to tie the game in the second inning for the Wolverines, but ACU responded with five runs in the home half of the inning.
Rachel Cook had an RBI double, Bubba Rose added an RBI single, Bennett produced a sacrifice fly and
Olivia Marble and
Sammie Shelander followed with RBI singles for a 6-1 lead.
After UVU added a run in the third, ACU scored four times in the fourth on an RBI single by Marble, a two-run double by Shelander and a wild pitch that allowed
Isabel Martinez to score from third.
Lina Russo held the Wolverines to three hits while striking out seven in the five-inning complete-game performance.
ACU had eight hits, led by Marble with three while Shelander and Rote added two each.
UVU scored three in the second and led 5-0 before the Cats got on the board in the second game. Shelander tripled to right center to score Bennett and then scored herself on an RBI ground out by Schaefer.
Bennett and Marble added RBI singles in the sixth and ACU got the tying run aboard in the seventh but couldn't get the equalizer.
Russo added a scoreless inning of relief to her strong outing in the circle.
Ella Beeman was charged with the loss.
ACU had six hits with Bennett and Marble getting two each while Shelander and Rote added one apiece.
The teams meet to decide the series at noon on Saturday.
