AUSTIN – The ACU Wildcats suffered a doubleheader sweep Saturday at the Longhorn Invitational, falling to New Mexico State in the first game before losing to South Florida in the nightcap at McCombs Field.
ACU fell to the Aggies for the second straight day, losing Saturday, 10-7, before dropping a 3-0 decision to South Florida. The Wildcats (3-16 on the season) will wrap up the tournament Sunday at 5:30 p.m. against Incarnate Word.
Here's a recap of each of Saturday's games:
• New Mexico State 10, ACU 7 – The teams were tied 2-2 going to the fourth inning when the Aggies broke through with four runs to take a 6-2 lead on the Wildcats. But ACU answered with four runs in the bottom half of the inning to knot the game at 6-6. Audrey Lacina had an RBI double, Juliana Martinez an RBI bunt single, Rachel Cook a bases-loaded walk, and Taylor Bachmeyer an RBI single. But the Aggies put two runs up in the fifth and two more in the sixth to make it a 10-6 game. ACU scored once in the seventh and had the tying run at the plate before Catrin Hoffman grounded out to end the game.
• South Florida 3, ACU 0 – South Florida pitchers Payton Dixon and Belle Sardja combined on a three-hit shutout as the Bulls knocked off ACU to improve to 16-5. Dixon allowed just two hits and struck out three Wildcats in five innings, and Sardja pitched the final two innings, giving up one hit. Lina Russo (1-7) took the hard-luck loss for ACU. She went six innings and gave up four hits and three runs while striking out three batters. ACU's only hits were two singles from leadoff hitter Taylor Bachmeyer and an RBI double from cleanup hitter Elizabeth Schaefer.
