Sunday, April 26
Abilene, Texas
1 p.m.
Abilene Christian
21-22, 4-5
14
vs
4
UT Arlington
16-25, 5-7
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UT Arlington | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 1 |
| Abilene Christian | 2 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | X | 14 | 11 | 0 |
Photo by: Kaylee Kahn
Arias Drives in Six as Wildcats Clinch Series With Run-Rule Win Over Mavericks
4/26/2026 5:33:00 PM | Baseball
ABILENE - Abilene Christian baseball scored early and often in a 14-4 rout of UT Arlington in seven innings at Crutcher Scott Field at Bullock Brothers Ballpark on Sunday afternoon. Nick Arias drove in a career-high six runs behind a fourth-inning grand slam to help the Wildcats secure their first conference series win of the season.
ACU wraps up its five-game homestand versus Dallas Baptist at Crutcher Scott Field at Bullock Brothers Ballpark at 6 p.m. Tuesday. It's a Purple Game, presented by Hendrick Health.
Arias went 2 for 4 and was one of four Wildcats with multiple runs batted in and scored. Five of his RBIs came with two outs. Arias is on a five-game hitting streak with nine hits in that stretch. He was 7 for 17 in four games this week and drove in eight runs. It marks Arias' 13th multi-hit game of the season and his eighth with multiple RBIs.
JT Thompson and Zandt Payne each went 3 for 4 with two RBIs. Payne scored three runs for his team-high 19th multi-hit game and 15th multi-run game. Thompson capped an exceptional week at the plate, batting .643 (9 for 14) with four RBIs. He is in the midst of a seven-game hitting streak with his 12th multi-hit game. Thompson and Arias have each reached base safely in 13 consecutive contests.
Grant Watkins was 2 for 3 with two doubles. He plated a pair of runs in his first game with multiple RBIs since March 28 at McNeese. Brady Gray drew three walks with a sacrifice fly, scoring three times. Brady Ladusau scored two runs and drove in another.
Evan Whiteaker earned the win in his second start of the season, allowing three runs in five innings. David Jeon struck out the only batter he faced to strand the bases loaded to end the top of the sixth. Carson Wallace pitched a scoreless seventh inning with two punchouts.
ACU loaded the bases to begin the bottom of the first inning with singles by Payne and Diego Cardenas and a walk issued to Ryan Jones. Thompson pulled a single through the right side of the infield to bring home a run, and Ladusau hit a sacrifice fly to score another.
In the second, Gray walked and raced home on Payne's RBI double. Arias followed with an RBI single before coming home on Thompson's second RBI base hit of the game, giving the Wildcats a 5-0 edge. They stayed hot in the third inning thanks to an RBI single by Payne and an Arias sacrifice fly.
After the Mavericks got three runs back, ACU's most productive inning came in the fourth, led off by Thompson's third single and Ladusau being hit by a pitch. Watkins blistered a two-run double to left-center field, then Gray walked and Payne was hit by a pitch. With two outs, Arias carried a 3-1 offering over the wall in left-center field, good for a grand slam and his sixth home run of the season. When the dust settled, the Wildcats had taken a 13-3 lead.
ACU's final damage came in the fifth frame. Ladusau was hit by a pitch and advanced to third on Watkins' second double of the game. The freshman came home on Gray's sacrifice fly.
ACU wraps up its five-game homestand versus Dallas Baptist at Crutcher Scott Field at Bullock Brothers Ballpark at 6 p.m. Tuesday. It's a Purple Game, presented by Hendrick Health.
Arias went 2 for 4 and was one of four Wildcats with multiple runs batted in and scored. Five of his RBIs came with two outs. Arias is on a five-game hitting streak with nine hits in that stretch. He was 7 for 17 in four games this week and drove in eight runs. It marks Arias' 13th multi-hit game of the season and his eighth with multiple RBIs.
JT Thompson and Zandt Payne each went 3 for 4 with two RBIs. Payne scored three runs for his team-high 19th multi-hit game and 15th multi-run game. Thompson capped an exceptional week at the plate, batting .643 (9 for 14) with four RBIs. He is in the midst of a seven-game hitting streak with his 12th multi-hit game. Thompson and Arias have each reached base safely in 13 consecutive contests.
Grant Watkins was 2 for 3 with two doubles. He plated a pair of runs in his first game with multiple RBIs since March 28 at McNeese. Brady Gray drew three walks with a sacrifice fly, scoring three times. Brady Ladusau scored two runs and drove in another.
Evan Whiteaker earned the win in his second start of the season, allowing three runs in five innings. David Jeon struck out the only batter he faced to strand the bases loaded to end the top of the sixth. Carson Wallace pitched a scoreless seventh inning with two punchouts.
ACU loaded the bases to begin the bottom of the first inning with singles by Payne and Diego Cardenas and a walk issued to Ryan Jones. Thompson pulled a single through the right side of the infield to bring home a run, and Ladusau hit a sacrifice fly to score another.
In the second, Gray walked and raced home on Payne's RBI double. Arias followed with an RBI single before coming home on Thompson's second RBI base hit of the game, giving the Wildcats a 5-0 edge. They stayed hot in the third inning thanks to an RBI single by Payne and an Arias sacrifice fly.
After the Mavericks got three runs back, ACU's most productive inning came in the fourth, led off by Thompson's third single and Ladusau being hit by a pitch. Watkins blistered a two-run double to left-center field, then Gray walked and Payne was hit by a pitch. With two outs, Arias carried a 3-1 offering over the wall in left-center field, good for a grand slam and his sixth home run of the season. When the dust settled, the Wildcats had taken a 13-3 lead.
ACU's final damage came in the fifth frame. Ladusau was hit by a pitch and advanced to third on Watkins' second double of the game. The freshman came home on Gray's sacrifice fly.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Whiteaker, Evan (4-3)
L: Valadez, Danny (2-2)
Batting:
2B: Melendez, Xavier 1 ; McAfee, Xander 1
RBI: Dygert, Caylon 2 ; Phillips, Austin 1 ; Knott, Preston 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Melendez, Xavier 1 ; Dygert, Caylon 1 ; Harp, Hank 1 ; Springs, Clark 1
CS: Harp, Hank 1
Batting:
2B: Watkins, Grant 2 ; Payne, Zandt 1
HR: Arias, Nick 1
RBI: Arias, Nick 6 ; Gray, Brady 1 ; Watkins, Grant 2 ; Thompson, JT 2 ; Ladusau, Brady 1 ; Payne, Zandt 2
SF: Arias, Nick 1 ; Gray, Brady 1 ; Ladusau, Brady 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Miesse, Maddox 1 ; Cardenas, Diego 1 ; Arias, Nick 2 ; Gray, Brady 3 ; Watkins, Grant 1 ; Thompson, JT 1 ; Ladusau, Brady 2 ; Payne, Zandt 3
HBP: Ladusau, Brady 2 ; Jones, Ryan 1 ; Payne, Zandt 1
Game Leaders
cf/2b
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
2
AB
4
R
3
H
3
RBI
2
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
6
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
INF
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INF
/ Baseball
C
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF/OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballINF
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LHP
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballACU Softball Senior Day
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Tuesday, April 21
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ACU Softball: Jo Koons Press Conference | April 13, 2026
Monday, April 13
