By Joshua Parrott, Sports Writer
Lanky left-hander Brandon Shaw was one pitch from perfection Saturday afternoon, which is more than the rest of the ACU team can say after posting a 2-2 record this past weekend.
The Wildcats split two road doubleheaders to regional opponents Dallas Baptist and St. Edward’s, giving them a 28-14 overall record heading into Tuesday’s home doubleheader against St. Mary’s. The results of the doubleheader were unavailable at press time.
Shaw pitched a jewel of a game in the Wildcats’ 1-0 victory over Dallas Baptist, giving up only a first-inning single. He retired the last 20 batters he faced in the ballgame.
Conference leader Texas A&M-Kingsville looms on the horizon for the Wildcats, who are currently in third place in the division at 10-7. The top two teams from each LSC division make the postseason tournament.
The TAMU Javelinas head to Abilene for a three-game series at Crutcher Scott Field starting with a doubleheader Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. A single game will take place Saturday at noon. The Wildcats dropped two games March 15 in Kingsville to the Javelinas.
Despite Brad Massey’s game-winning home run Saturday in a 1-0 victory over Dallas Baptist, the Wildcats were unable to pull off the sweep, dropping the second game 6-3 despite a two-run home run by Massey in the top of the seventh inning.
ACU took the first game against St. Edward’s 11-7 behind a 3-for-4 hitting display by Massey and a pair of home runs by seniors Chris Churchill and Marcelino Escalante. The Wildcats were held to only five hits in the second game of the doubleheader and scored only one run on an Escalante solo shot in the sixth inning.
Junior first baseman Arnie Gomez said preseason accolades mean little as the Wildcats sit on the outer edge of the playoff race.
“It’s pretty frustrating,” said Gomez, who is hitting .300 this season. “The rankings aren’t going to get you in the playoffs. It’s more frustrating that people aren’t playing up to the potential they can. You feel like everyone is in the hole and digging themselves deeper and deeper.”
But with a final shot at the conference-leading Javelinas, the Wildcats might finally find a way out of the hole and into postseason play.
