Jones Homers as Wildcats Drop Series Opener to Mavericks

Friday, April 24

Abilene, Texas

6 p.m

Abilene Christian

19-22, 2-5

UT Arlington

16-23, 5-5

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
UT Arlington	0	0	3	1	4	1	0	0	2	11	14	0
Abilene Christian	0	1	2	1	0	2	0	0	0	6	12	2

Ryan Jones points to the dugout after hitting a single in ACU's matchup with Rice at Crutcher Scott Field at Bullock Brothers Ballpark on March 6, 2026.

Photo by: Kaylee Kahn

Jones Homers as Wildcats Drop Series Opener to Mavericks

4/24/2026 10:48:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

By: Luke White

ABILENE - Each starter collected a hit for Abilene Christian baseball in an 11-6 loss to UT Arlington at Crutcher Scott Field at Bullock Brothers Ballpark on Friday night. The Wildcats banged out 12 hits, including five for extra bases.

ACU looks to even the series with the Mavericks at 3 p.m. Saturday. It's Rally Cats Day at The Crutch, presented by New Horizons. Brett Lanman is slated to start on the mound for the Wildcats. Saturday's game can be streamed on ESPN+.

Zandt Payne, Nick Arias and JT Thompson tallied two hits apiece, while Ryan Jones connected on his third home run of the season, a leadoff solo shot in the second inning. He drove in two runs. Payne and Maddox Miesse scored twice.

Payne reached base safely for the 35th game in a row. He has made it aboard in all but one contest this season. Payne recorded his team-high 18th multi-hit game of the year, while Arias and Thompson notched their 12th and 10th, respectively. Payne also paces ACU with 14 multi-hit games.

Relievers OJ Gonzalez and David Jeon combined for 2.1 scoreless frames and three strikeouts.

Jones put the Wildcats on the board first in the second inning, sending an 0-1 offering over the right-field wall for a 1-0 lead. UT Arlington struck for three runs in the third, but ACU knotted the score with two runs in the bottom of the frame.

Miesse led off with a double before Payne was hit by a pitch. Diego Cardenas kept it going with a double to the wall in right-center, plating Miesse. It's Cardenas' conference-leading 53rd run batted in. Jones picked up his second RBI with a sacrifice fly to bring home Payne, leveling the game at 3.

The Mavericks added a run in the top of the fourth, but the Wildcats again had an answer. Thompson got the home half of the inning started with a ground-rule double ahead of Grant Watkins' single. Kanon Sundgren loaded the bases with a bunt single. The senior Miesse took advantage, working a walk to score the tying run.

UT Arlington took a 9-4 edge over the next two innings, but ACU got back within striking distance in the bottom of the sixth. Miesse walked and Payne singled ahead of a Cardenas fly out that advanced Miesse to third. It paid off, as he raced home on a wild pitch. In the same at-bat, Arias doubled down the right-field line to bring home Payne and make it a 9-6 game.