MESA, Ariz. — The Abilene Christian University baseball team showed resilience, power, and pitching prowess Friday in the WAC Tournament, surviving a slugfest against No. 7 UT Arlington and then dominating No. 1 Sacramento State to secure a spot in the WAC Championship Game. The Wildcats defeated UT Arlington 9–7 in the afternoon before shutting out Sacramento State 7–0 in the evening elimination game.
In a back-and-forth showdown, ACU struck first and never trailed, using a five-run first inning to take control early. Reese Borho was the spark plug, blasting a grand slam to right field—his third home run of the season—giving ACU a commanding 4–0 lead before UTA had recorded an out. Borho finished with four RBIs in the game.
The offensive fireworks didn't stop there. Diego Cardenas went 2-for-4 with a walk and a solo home run in the ninth inning, while Grant Watkins added a key solo blast in the eighth to tie the game at 7–7 after UTA had briefly taken the lead in the seventh.
Zandt Payne turned in a great game at the top of the order, going 4-for-4 with a double and a walk, scoring two runs and anchoring a 12-hit attack for the Wildcats.
On the mound, Cade McGarrh started and pitched into the sixth, but it was reliever Andrew Guardino who earned the win, tossing three critical innings down the stretch. Guardino allowed just one run, striking out four without issuing a walk, effectively quieting the Maverick lineup that had slugged three home runs of its own.
Riding the momentum from their earlier win, ACU took the field in game two and delivered a great performance behind right-hander Chandler Benson, who threw a complete-game shutout against Sacramento State. Benson scattered just three hits over nine innings and struck out 12 batters, walking only two.
ACU jumped on Sacramento State early, plating four runs in the first inning. RBI contributions came from Maddox Miesse, Grant Watkins, and Brady Gray, who reached on a fielder's choice. Watkins drove in two with a single up the middle, part of a 2-for-2, 3-RBI night that led all hitters.
Miesse had another productive game at the plate and on the bases, scoring twice and reaching base four times. Nick Arias and Braden Regala added key RBI hits in the sixth to put the game out of reach, extending the Wildcats' lead to 7–0.
The Wildcats will advance to the championship game, taking on No. 3 Utah Valley. The first pitch will start at 5:00 p.m. CT, and if the Wildcats win game one, game two will start at 9:00 p.m. CT.
