By Austin Gwin, Sports Writer
The softball team continued its impressive late-season surge by sweeping the Tarleton State TexAnns last weekend, improving to 34-11 overall and 12-3 and tied for first in the Lone Star Conference. The Wildcats have won 18 of their last 20 games and have just one LSC series remaining.
With the series sweep, the Wildcats secured at least second place in the LSC South Division and would keep the tiebreaker for second with TSU if ACU lost its final four games. While most of the 18 wins have come from dominating pitching, the Wildcats relied on their offense this weekend and came from behind twice to earn the sweep.
“Every team in the LSC is competitive,” head coach Chantiel Wilson said. “We just need to keep playing mistake-free baseball and we will keep winning games.”
In game one Friday, the TexAnns came out of the gate swinging. After three homers in the first two innings, TSU had a commanding 5-0 lead against ACU and starting pitcher Jacque Gregoire. ACU battled back with three runs in the bottom of the third after a bases-loaded walk and a two run single by Melissa Rodriguez to make the score 5-3.
TSU stymied ACU with four more runs in the fourth inning off reliever Kim White to boost the score to 9-3. However, in the fifth inning, TSU committed four errors defensively, and the Wildcats took full advantage, knotting the game at nine behind RBI base hits from first baseman Katie Cornelison and pinch hitter Emily Farrier. Cornelison and third baseman Nancy Sawyer both hit home runs in the sixth to give ACU a 12-9 lead.
Relief pitcher Britney Benedict kept the TexAnns scoreless in the fifth and sixth innings and survived a bases-loaded jam in the seventh, allowing just one run. Benedict was credited with her third win of the season as ACU held on to win 12-10.
“It’s awesome that we don’t have just one or two players carrying the team,” Wilson said. “Everyone can produce; all the girls have been working hard and practicing well.”
In game two of Friday’s doubleheader, Kim Partin pitched a complete game to notch her ninth win of the season in a 4-1 win. Despite leaving 10 runners on base, TSU scored its only run in the seventh inning, while ACU got one run in the first, two in the third and one in the sixth. Second baseman Jackie Gentile and short stop Melissa Rodriguez led ACU, each going 2-3 with 1 RBI.
In the series finale Saturday, the TexAnns jumped out to a 4-1 lead after scoring four runs in the top of the third inning. But with two outs and runners on second and third in the bottom of the fourth, catcher Jessica Shiery stepped to the plate and hit a towering shot over the center field fence to tie the game at four.
In the bottom of the seventh inning and the game still tied, TSU intentionally walked Shiery. Genevie Ramirez then came in to pinch run for her and advanced to second on a single by Rodriguez. With two outs, left fielder Shelby McElvain hit a walk off single to score Ramirez and give ACU a 5-4 win.
Partin, who took over for starter Gregoire in the third inning, pitched the final 4 1/3 innings, allowing no runs while striking out three to earn her 10th win of the season. Shiery led ACU’s offense, going 2-3 with 3 RBI, while center fielder Caitlin Nabor went 2-3.
Results for ACU’s doubleheader against UT-Permian Basin on Tuesday were unavailable for press time. ACU finishes LSC play with a three-game road series against Eastern New Mexico beginning Friday at 1 p.m.
