ABILENE - The ACU softball team gave itself a chance to win its home series against rival Tarleton State with a 2-0 win in game two of Friday's doubleheader after a 6-3 loss in the opener.
The Wildcats (12-32, 8-9) kept its hold on a tie for fifth place with the results, while Tarleton State (29-17, 13-7) remains in second in the WAC.
ACU's only scoring on the day came with two swings of the bat -- a 3-run home run to right by
Valerie Ornelas in game one, and then a 2-run blast by
Taylor Bachmeyer which wound up being the game-winner in the nightcap.
The series finale has been moved up to a 12 p.m. first pitch on Saturday because of possible rain showers moving into the Abilene area. A postgame Easter egg hunt for kids 12 and under is still planned as of now.Â
Game 1: Tarleton State 6, ACU 3 - The Wildcats used Ornelas' long ball in the first inning to take an early lead which held up until the Texans scored on back-to-back RBI hits in the top of the 5th to lead 4-3. It had been nearly two months since Ornelas' last home run. She had a round-tripper in back-to-back games on February 23 against Tulsa and Wichita State in Oklahoma's Norman Tournament.
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Tarleton State added two more runs on a home run in the 7th. ACU's
Ella Beeman went the distance with 129 pitches. She and the Wildcat defense forced Tarleton State to strand nine runners on base.
The game was well-attended thanks to many parents and competitors walking over from the high school regional track meets being held at Elmer Gray Stadium next to Poly Wells Field.
Game 2: ACU 2, Tarleton State 0 -Â A pitcher's duel dominated game two of the twinbill with ACU ace
Lina Russo and Tarleton State's Hannah Blincoe trading punch-for-punch.
Each team could only muster one hit through four innings. The Wildcats loaded the bases in the bottom of the 4th, but
Ari Maxwell struck out swinging to end the threat without pushing a run across.
The top of the 5th was the Texans' turn at amping up the pressure. With runners on second and third with no outs, Russo forced a ground out back to the pitching circle, struck out Hayden Fox, and got another ground out to third to keep Tarleton State off the board.
After
Audrey Lacina drew a two-out walk in the bottom of the inning,
Taylor Bachmeyer stepped to the plate. She drove a 1-1 pitch deep to left centerfield flying over the tree beyond the outfield fence to give ACU a 2-0 edge.
Bachmeyer said before the inning began she had a moment to herself where she decided to play loose.
"I was like, 'Go have fun. The only reason you're out here is because God brought you here. You're living your dream, so just go live it,'" said the graduate student who did not play softball the past two years. "I saw a good pitch and crushed it."
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Russo again pitched out of a jam as Tarleton State put runners on first and second in the 6th but came away empty. She then sent the Texans down in order in the 7th to end the game.
Bachmeyer, who moved from her traditional right field position over to left, also made an incredible defensive play early in the game.Â
She chased a fly ball into foul territory, leaned over the three-foot fence, and wound up jack-knifed on top of the fence completely off the ground, hanging on for the catch.
"Good thing I never play left field because I didn't know exactly how many steps I had until the fence," said Bachmeyer. "I knew I was at the fence but I still thought I was catching the ball no matter what.
"I think we put ourselves in a really good spot. I'm really excited to play with my friends again, and go for the series."
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