ACU Sunk by Rice’s Ninth-Inning Rally

Saturday, March 7

Abilene, Texas

3 p.m.

Abilene Christian

7-8

Rice

9-6

Rice

Abilene Christian

Zandt Payne prepares to swing in ACU's 8-7 win over Oral Roberts at Crutcher Scott Field at Bullock Brothers Ballpark on Feb. 22, 2026.

Photo by: Kaylee Kahn

3/7/2026 8:59:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Luke White

ABILENE - Abilene Christian baseball couldn't bounce back from Rice's ninth-inning comeback as it suffered an 8-6 loss to the Owls at Crutcher Scott Field at Bullock Brothers Ballpark on Saturday afternoon. The Wildcats retook a 6-5 lead in the eighth inning before Rice rattled off three runs in the top of the ninth.

ACU looks to salvage the series and close out Hometown Heroes Weekend at 1 p.m. Sunday at Crutcher Scott Field at Bullock Brothers Ballpark. Cade McGarrh is set to start on the mound for the Wildcats.

ACU faced a 5-4 deficit entering the bottom of the eighth as Zandt Payne drew a walk and advanced to second on a groundout. Diego Cardenas drove in a run for the third game in a row, plating Payne with an RBI double, the Wildcats' only extra-base hit of the day.

Ryan Jones followed with an infield single, and heads-up baserunning by pinch runner Thomas Schnabel allowed him to race home for the go-ahead run.

The Owls were quick to answer, loading the bases with no outs in the top of the ninth. A two-run double brought home a pair before Reese Borho, Payne and Kanon Sundgren worked together to record an out at home. A passed ball and a fielder's choice added an insurance run as Rice held onto its lead in the bottom of the ninth.

Jones, Payne, Cardenas and Sam Hardcastle collected two hits apiece, with the redshirt freshman Jones extending his reached-base safely streak to 10 games and Payne raising his to nine. Payne has multiple hits in seven of 15 games this season. Jones drove in a pair of runs, while Payne plated one and scored twice. Both drew a couple of walks each.

Freshman Baron Mannis continued his strong start to his collegiate career, allowing no hits in three innings out of the bullpen and striking out four. He lowered his ERA to 0.64 in 14.0 frames.

The Wildcats drew first blood in the second inning, loading the bases before an out was recorded. After Jones walked and JT Thompson and Sam Hardcastle singled, freshman Brady Ladusau sent a fly ball to deep right field for a sacrifice fly that brought home Jones.

ACU tacked on two runs in the fourth to retake the lead at 3-2. Back-to-back singles by Ladusau and Sundgren followed by a hit batter loaded the bases for Payne, who kept a single in the infield to score Ladusau. Watkins sent a sacrifice fly to left field to put the Wildcats in front.

The Owls responded with three runs over the next two innings, but ACU got one back behind Jones' first RBI single in the sixth frame. Mannis surrendered just one unearned run between the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.