Abilene Christian
9-10
Loyola Marymount
7-14
Cardenas Drives in 6 Runs in Triumph Over LMU
3/14/2026 6:51:00 PM | Baseball
Cardenas went 3/4 with six RBI, including a three-run home run in the sixth and a solo bomb in the eighth. All nine Wildcats in the lineup recorded at least one hit with J.T. Thompson and Gavin Brzozowski turning in two-hit games.
Grant Watkins, hitting leadoff, doubled to left field in the first inning and later scored on Ryan Jones' groundout, giving ACU the 1-0 lead.
In the fifth inning, Nick Arias walked and later scored on Jones' RBI double. Cardenas' three-run homer extended the lead, and then Gavin Brzozowski added another run with an RBI single, scoring JT Thompson to put the Wildcats in front 7-0.
Cardenas contributed further in the sixth with a two-run single to center, bringing in Arias and Watkins. Kanon Sundgren recorded his first 2-RBI game of hte season when he slapped an RBI single in the seventh.
In the eighth, the Lions capitalized on several walks and a sacrifice fly to score three runs, but Cardenas added the solo homer to center to keep them at bay.
Aidan Coleman delivered a strong performance for the Wildcats, pitching five innings without allowing a run and striking out two batters while conceding five hits. He posted a season-high total of 82 pitches in this outing. Noah Galvan and David Jeon collectively held the opposition scoreless in their relief stints, with Galvan pitching 1 2/3 innings without allowing a hit, despite issuing three walks, and Jeon securing the final out with a single pitch.
Freshman Brady Ladusau also showcased his speed with two stolen bases while also drawing a season-high total of three walks.
UP NEXT
The series concludes on Sunday with a 12 p.m. first pitch at Bullock Brothers Ballpark for Rally Cats Day.
In a separate schedule update, ACU's home game against UIW on Wednesday, March 18 has been moved up to a 4 p.m. start.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Coleman, Aidan (2-0)
L: Behrens, Adam (2-2)
Batting:
HR: Friend, Travis 1
RBI: Friend, Travis 2 ; Wadas, Zach 1
SF: Wadas, Zach 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ghiorso, DJ 1 ; Friend, Travis 1 ; Mhoon, Andrew 1 ; Wadas, Zach 1 ; Wall, Jaxson 1
CS: Ortiz, Jordan 1 ; Wall, Jaxson 1
HBP: Wadas, Zach 1 ; Wall, Jaxson 2
Batting:
2B: Arias, Nick 1 ; Watkins, Grant 1 ; Jones, Ryan 1
HR: Cardenas, Diego 2
RBI: Cardenas, Diego 6 ; Jones, Ryan 2 ; Brzozowski, Gavin 1 ; Sundgren, Kanon 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Cardenas, Diego 2 ; Arias, Nick 2 ; Watkins, Grant 2 ; Thompson, JT 1 ; Ladusau, Brady 2 ; Jones, Ryan 1 ; Payne, Zandt 1
SB: Ladusau, Brady 2 ; Payne, Zandt 1
CS: Ladusau, Brady 1 ; Jones, Ryan 1
HBP: Cardenas, Diego 1 ; Watkins, Grant 2 ; Jones, Ryan 1
