ABILENE– A packed Crutcher Scott Field celebrated Saturday afternoon as Diego Cardenas crushed a game-winning, two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth, lifting Abilene Christian to a thrilling 3-1 victory over Grand Canyon. With the win, the Wildcats evened the weekend series, setting up a highly anticipated winner-take-all matchup on Sunday.
With the score tied 1-1 in the bottom of the ninth, Grant Watkins was hit by a pitch to put the winning run on base. Pinch-runner Holden Rook entered and Cardenas wasted no time jumping on the first pitch he saw, launching a no-doubt blast over the left-field wall. The walk-off moment sent the Wildcats pouring out of the dugout in celebration, while the home crowd roared with excitement.
While Cardenas delivered the late-game heroics, the foundation for the victory was laid by starter Brett Lanman. The Wildcats' ace was nothing short of dominant, tossing a complete game and allowing just two hits while striking out seven. Lanman improved to 4-0 on the season, needing only 103 pitches to silence the Lopes' lineup.
Lanman faced the minimum through four innings before Grand Canyon scratched across its only run in the fifth, capitalizing on a pair of ACU errors to take a 1-0 lead. However, the senior hurler refused to waver, retiring 13 of the final 14 batters he faced, setting up the Wildcats' late-game rally.
ACU trailed 1-0 heading into the seventh inning, but they found a way to break through against Grand Canyon starter Garrett Ahern, who had been cruising through the first six frames. After Benjamin Greer worked a leadoff walk and stole second, Sam Hardcastle came through in the clutch, ripping an RBI single through the right side to tie the game.
With the series now knotted at one game apiece, the Wildcats and Lopes will battle for the series win in Sunday's rubber match. First pitch is scheduled for 12:05 PM CT at Crutcher Scott Field.
