Maxwell Climbs to Top of WAC with 12th Home Run

Saturday, April 11

Abilene

12 p.m.

Abilene Christian

6-32, 3-6

Utah Valley

25-16, 6-6

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Utah Valley	0	0	0	0	2	2	4	8	9	0
Abilene Christian	3	2	0	0	2	0	0	7	7	1

Ari Maxwell prepares for a game against North Texas on March 25, 2026

Photo by: Katalina Molina

Maxwell Climbs to Top of WAC with 12th Home Run

4/11/2026 9:24:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: Evan Nemec

ABILENE, Texas — The Abilene Christian softball team saw an early lead evaporate late against Utah Valley, dropping the series rubber match 8-7 on Saturday afternoon at Poly Wells Field.

The Wildcats (6-32, 3-6 WAC) started strong with a three-run first inning, but the Wolverines rallied with a four-run seventh inning to secure the win. ACU managed seven hits, including a season-high four doubles, while issuing eight walks and two wild pitches.

Emalee Romero, hitting in the lead-off spot for just the third time this season, hit a home run to left field in the bottom of the first. It was Romero's first long ball since Feb. 28 against North Texas. Three of the next four batters hit doubles: Ari Maxwell, Elizabeth Schaefer (who drive in Maxwell), and Emerson Meggers (who brought in Schaefer) to give ACU a 3-0 edge.

In the second inning, the Wildcats' lead jumped to 5-0 as Maxwell delivered again with a two-run home run to center field, bringing in Julianna Martinez who had walked. It was Maxwell's third homer of the weekend, and her 12th of the season which catapulted her into first place in the WAC. She needs just four more to break ACU's Division I program record.

Starting pitcher Alissa Snipes escaped bases-loaded jams in both the second and fourth innings with no runs allowed. In the fourth with two outs, ACU went with five infielders as Ari Maxwell moved from right field to play up the middle against Utah Valley's Ry Binne. Snipes induced a grounder to Maxwell, who stepped on second base to end the frame.

However, the luck ran out in the fifth as the Wolverines once again loaded the bases. Leah Meyer, the winning pitcher in game two of the series, entered in relief with no outs. But, the junior from Ocala, Fla. only surrendered two runs on a sacrifice fly and a wild pitch. Meggers had the defensive highlight play of diving to her right to field a grounder at second and firing to an out-stretched Jadyn Dawson for the out at first.

The Wildcats scored twice more in the bottom of the fifth as Valerie Ornelas' double to left center knocked in Meggers and Ciana Arguijo.

Down by three in the seventh, ACU again put five players in the infield against Binne, who hit a ground ball to Romero at third. Her throw bounced off Dawson's glove for a fielding error, allowing a run to score, and the ball then hit a bucket in the visitor's dugout, which sent an additional runner home. The Wolverines followed with an RBI triple to tie, and a two-out RBI double to take the 8-7 lead.

ACU went down in order in bottom of the seventh to end the game.

Snipes, who threw 4 innings, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits while issuing 6 walks and striking out 2 batters. Meyer pitched the final 3 innings, surrendering 6 runs, 4 of which were earned, on 7 hits. Meyer walked 2 batters and threw 59 pitches, of which 35 were strikes, as she recorded the loss to bring her season record to 3-9.

UP NEXT

The Wildcats play their final midweek game as the North Texas Mean Green come to Abilene on Tuesday evening. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. ACU and UNT have met three times already this season with the Mean Green winning each time.