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Box Score 2 AUSTIN — The ACU Wildcats suffered a heartbreaking doubleheader sweep Friday at the Longhorn Invitational, losing 6-5 to New Mexico State and 9-1 to No. 1-ranked Texas in the nightcap at McCombs Field.
The Wildcats are 3-14 on the season going into Saturday's games against New Mexico State (11 a.m.) and South Florida (4 p.m.).
ACU — which has played No. 1 Texas, No. 2 Oklahoma, No. 6 Texas A&M, and then No. 19 Baylor already this season, with games against No. 13 Texas Tech and No. 14 Oregon still to be played – had a chance to knock off New Mexico State in the first game of the day, but couldn't make it happen. The Aggies scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to turn a 5-3 deficit into a 6-5 victory.
About 90 minutes after dropping that game, the Wildcats lined up against the nation's top-ranked team and gave the Longhorns everything they wanted for most of the evening. Texas eventually broke through with five runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth to take a 9-1 run-rule victory.
Here's a brief recap of each game:
• New Mexico State 6, ACU 5 – The Wildcats led 2-0 after one inning and 3-2 after two before scoring twice in the sixth on an error and a sacrifice fly by Isabel Martinez. But the Aggies rallied in the bottom of the seventh, Desirae Spearman doubled in a run to make it a 5-4 game, and Johnna Aragon's sacrifice fly to right field drove in Faith Aragon with the tying run. After a walk, Riley Carley doubled down the left field line, sending Kristiana Watson to third. The relay throw to the plate from third baseman Taylor Haywood was wild, and Watson scampered home with the game-winning run.
• #1 Texas 9, ACU 1 (6 innings) – The top-ranked Longhorns blew open a 1-1 game with a five-run fifth inning and tacked on three more in the bottom of the sixth to beat ACU, 9-1, in a run-rule-shortened game. The Wildcats jumped on top in the second inning when Isabel Martinz singled to left-centerfield, driving in pinch-runner Roo Stone. Texas scored in the bottom of the second to tie the game, which stayed that way until the bottom of the fifth. Katie Stewart gave Texas its first lead with a three-run double to left-centerfield to put the Longhorns on top 4-1. Texas scored twice more in the fifth and ended it in the sixth.
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