HUNTSVILLE – The Abilene Christian Wildcats battled through 11 innings to claim a thrilling 12-11 victory over Sam Houston in the second game of their weekend series at Don Sanders Stadium.
The Wildcats relied on a strong offensive performance, tallying 16 hits in the game. After trailing 7-1 heading into the fifth inning, ACU erupted for six runs to tie the game. Diego Cardenas sparked the rally with a clutch 2-RBI double, followed by a two-run blast from Maddox Miesse that brought ACU closer. Sam Hardcastle continued the surge with a two-run shot, leveling the score at 7-7.
The Wildcats added three more runs in the sixth, highlighted by a triple from Benjamin Greer and another RBI from Cardenas. ACU took an 11-8 lead into the bottom of the ninth before Sam Houston rallied with three runs to force extra innings.
In the 11th inning, ACU finally broke the deadlock when Hardcastle delivered a home run, giving the Wildcats the decisive edge.
Hardcastle shined at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a home run, double, and four RBIs. Braden Regala also had a standout performance with four hits, three runs scored, and five stolen bases, consistently igniting ACU's offense from the leadoff spot.
On the mound, Brett Lanman started and struck out eight in 4.1 innings, while Cooper Hrbacek delivered a crucial scoreless outing to keep the game within reach. Blaine Palmer earned the win in relief with 1.2 scoreless innings, retiring the final six batters he faced. Brady Coe showed resilience in a tough assignment, working 1.1 innings and battling through Sam Houston's late push.
ACU will take on Sam Houston one final time this weekend, wrapping up the series on Sunday at noon CT. The Wildcats are eyeing their third consecutive series sweep, riding the momentum of an impressive 11-game win streak — with hopes of extending it even further.
