Big Innings Doom Wildcats in Two Losses

Friday, February 7

College Station, TX

9:00 a.m. (CT)

Abilene Christian

0-2

Utah State

1-2

Utah State

Abilene Christian

Photo by: Aly Bayliss

2/7/2025 10:30:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

By: Lance Fleming

COLLEGE STATION – The ACU Wildcats were the victims of three big innings that cost them in a pair of losses to Utah State and Villanova on the second day of the Aggie Classic at Texas A&M University.

The Wildcats gave up an eight-run fifth inning Friday morning in a 9-3 loss to Utah State, and a pair of four-run innings Friday afternoon by Villanova led to a 10-8 win over ACU. The Wildcats are 0-3 on the young season and will conclude their stay in the tournament Saturday at 9 a.m. against Purdue and 4:30 p.m. against seventh-ranked Texas A&M.

Here's a recap of Friday's games:

Utah State 9, ACU 3 (box score) – The Wildcats jumped out to a 3-0 lead through four innings, thanks to a first-inning sacrifice fly by Audrey Lacina, a run-scoring wild pitch, and an RBI groundout in the bottom of the fourth inning. But the Aggies pounded out five hits and scored eight runs in the top of the fifth to take a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Leadoff hitter Ariel Fifita hit a solo home run to cut the ACU lead to 3-1 before catcher Kaylee Erickson hit a grand slam to put Utah State on top 5-3. Tatum Silva added a two-out, three-run single to push the lead to 8-3. Utah State added an insurance run in the top of the seventh on a solo home run by Giselle Gonzalez.

Villanova 10, ACU 8 (box score) – Villanova scored four runs in the top of the second and four more in the top of the third to take an 8-1 lead over ACU through 2 1/2 innings. But ACU scored four runs in the bottom of the third to cut Villanova's lead to 8-5. Lacina, Taylor Haywood, and Rachel Cook had RBI singles, and Elizabeth Schaefer hit into a double play that plated Lacina to make it 8-5. Villanova scored solo runs in the fourth and fifth innings to make it 10-5 before ACU answered with three runs in the sixth. Ari Maxwell scored on a wild pitch, Haywood drove in a run with a double, and Cook drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk. Maxwell doubled with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, and Lacina went to the plate as the tying run. But she flew out to center field to end the game.