By Brian Roe, Sports Writer
The softball team continued its early season success Thursday with a sweep of Colorado State-Pueblo in a non-conference doubleheader at Wells Field.
The Wildcats won the first game, 6-5, and then rallied to win the second game, 15-14, in eight innings. ACU is now 3-1 in the young season.
“We are motivated, we are excited, and we are ready to win a lot of games this year,” head coach Chantiel Wilson said.
In the first game of the doubleheader, ACU scored all six of its runs in the third inning led by senior centerfielder Michelle Gereaux, who had two hits including an RBI triple. Junior infielder Lanessa Glover, sophomore outfielder Danielle Faulk and senior outfielder Karena Martinez each had RBI singles.
Junior pitcher Lacey Beaston pitched all seven innings of the opening game, allowing only two earned runs and picking up her second win of the season.
The second game provided the most action with CSU-Pueblo rallying from an 8-3 deficit to score nine runs on six hits and three ACU errors in the fifth inning.
ACU answered by posted five runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 14-13 lead. Gereaux tied the game at 13-13 with a three-run triple, and junior first basemen Katie Bryan’s RBI single pushed the Wildcats into the lead.
But CSU-Pueblo immediately tied the game in the top of the seventh by leading off the inning with a solo home run. The Wildcats again battled back in the bottom half of the eighth inning with the first three Wildcats singling, and Bryan’s single driving in junior infielder Kristin Alvarado with the game-winning run.
Beaston again picked up the victory by pitching two nearly flawless innings. The junior pitcher has collected all three Wildcat victories in 2004.
On offense, junior catcher Ashley Whittenberg knocked the first ACU homerun of the season on Thursday, while Gereaux starts the season with an unbelievable .733 batting average.
The Wildcats will look to extend their winning streak when they compete in the Lone Star Conference Crossover tournament Friday and Saturday in Irving.
