Saturday, February 21
Abilene, Texas
1 p.m.
Abilene Christian
4-3
12
vs
3
Oral Roberts
3-3
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Oral Roberts
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
1
0
3
5
1
Abilene Christian
0
5
2
3
1
0
0
1
X
12
10
1
Photo by: Kaylee Kahn
ACU Uncorks Four Home Runs in 12-3 Win Over Oral Roberts
2/21/2026 9:12:00 PM | Baseball
ABILENE - Abilene Christian baseball blasted four home runs in a 12-3 win over Oral Roberts at Crutcher Scott Field at Bullock Brothers Ballpark on Saturday afternoon. Zandt Payne knocked a pair out of the park, including a second-inning grand slam to help the Wildcats return to the win column.
ACU will go for the series win in Sunday's rubber match at home. First pitch is at 1 p.m. to wrap up Campers Weekend.
Payne drove in five runs to double his season total to a team-high 10 runs batted in. With a 2-for-5 performance, he paces the Wildcats with eight hits in seven games. Payne has three long balls this season, one away from matching his total from last year. He scored three runs, leading ACU with nine this season.
Maddox Miesse, Ryan Jones and Sam Hardcastle followed with two hits apiece, with Miesse and Jones both sending pitches over the fence. Miesse got the scoring started with a solo shot in the second inning, while Jones earned the first home run of his career with a solo blast in the fifth inning. They plated two runs apiece.
Aidan Coleman delivered his second strong outing to begin the season, taking home the win in five innings. He allowed a pair of runs on just three hits and two walks with six strikeouts. Carson Wallace pitched three frames in relief, giving up just one run on two hits and five punchouts. Grayson McKelvey struck out a pair in a 1-2-3 ninth inning. The Golden Eagles were limited to five hits.
Miesse put the Wildcats on the board in the second inning with a home run to center field before Hardcastle reached with a single. Jones and Braden Regala worked a pair of two-out free passes to load the bases and set the stage for Payne's grand slam.
ACU engineered another two-out rally in the third inning, with Hardcastle singling before Brady Ladusau laced a triple to right-center field to bring him home. Jones followed with his first of two extra-base hits, an RBI double to make it a 7-0 ballgame.
The Wildcats scored three runs in the fourth. Payne reached on a fielding error to begin the frame, then scored on Nick Arias' sacrifice fly. Diego Cardenas and Grant Watkins each drew walks, with Cardenas scoring on a pitch that got away from the Oral Roberts catcher. Watkins came home on Miesse's RBI single, moving ACU in front, 10-1.
Jones led off the fifth inning with a big fly, sending a pitch into the Wildcats' bullpen. Payne added a leadoff long ball of his own in the eighth, delivering it to nearly the same spot in right field.
ACU will go for the series win in Sunday's rubber match at home. First pitch is at 1 p.m. to wrap up Campers Weekend.
Payne drove in five runs to double his season total to a team-high 10 runs batted in. With a 2-for-5 performance, he paces the Wildcats with eight hits in seven games. Payne has three long balls this season, one away from matching his total from last year. He scored three runs, leading ACU with nine this season.
Maddox Miesse, Ryan Jones and Sam Hardcastle followed with two hits apiece, with Miesse and Jones both sending pitches over the fence. Miesse got the scoring started with a solo shot in the second inning, while Jones earned the first home run of his career with a solo blast in the fifth inning. They plated two runs apiece.
Aidan Coleman delivered his second strong outing to begin the season, taking home the win in five innings. He allowed a pair of runs on just three hits and two walks with six strikeouts. Carson Wallace pitched three frames in relief, giving up just one run on two hits and five punchouts. Grayson McKelvey struck out a pair in a 1-2-3 ninth inning. The Golden Eagles were limited to five hits.
Miesse put the Wildcats on the board in the second inning with a home run to center field before Hardcastle reached with a single. Jones and Braden Regala worked a pair of two-out free passes to load the bases and set the stage for Payne's grand slam.
ACU engineered another two-out rally in the third inning, with Hardcastle singling before Brady Ladusau laced a triple to right-center field to bring him home. Jones followed with his first of two extra-base hits, an RBI double to make it a 7-0 ballgame.
The Wildcats scored three runs in the fourth. Payne reached on a fielding error to begin the frame, then scored on Nick Arias' sacrifice fly. Diego Cardenas and Grant Watkins each drew walks, with Cardenas scoring on a pitch that got away from the Oral Roberts catcher. Watkins came home on Miesse's RBI single, moving ACU in front, 10-1.
Jones led off the fifth inning with a big fly, sending a pitch into the Wildcats' bullpen. Payne added a leadoff long ball of his own in the eighth, delivering it to nearly the same spot in right field.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Coleman, Aidan (1-0)
L: Love, Nathan (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Mainord, Matthew 1
HR: Tanaka, Makani 1 ; Combs, Cooper 1
RBI: Tanaka, Makani 1 ; Combs, Cooper 1 ; Campbell, Keaton 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Tanaka, Makani 1 ; Kane-Yates, Wailele 1 ; Combs, Cooper 1
HBP: Tanaka, Makani 1 ; Kane-Yates, Wailele 1 ; Combs, Cooper 1
Batting:
2B: Jones, Ryan 1
3B: Ladusau, Brady 1
HR: Jones, Ryan 1 ; Payne, Zandt 2 ; Miesse, Maddox 1
RBI: Jones, Ryan 2 ; Payne, Zandt 5 ; Ladusau, Brady 1 ; Arias, Nick 1 ; Miesse, Maddox 2
SF: Arias, Nick 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hardcastle, Sam 2 ; Cardenas, Diego 1 ; Jones, Ryan 2 ; Payne, Zandt 3 ; Ladusau, Brady 1 ; Regala, Braden 1 ; Watkins, Grant 1 ; Miesse, Maddox 1
SB: Regala, Braden 1
HBP: Jones, Ryan 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
AB
5
R
3
H
2
RBI
5
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
INF
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INF
/ Baseball
RHP
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/ BaseballINF/OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballC
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
INF
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