The Abilene Christian softball team got back on track after a 1-3 showing at the St. Mary’s Softball Classic in San Antonio Feb. 5 – 6, going 3-1 at the 2011 Whitten Inn Classic on Saturday and Sunday.
The Wildcats used solid hitting and strong pitching in the games to finish victorious, two things that Head Coach Bobby Reeves said is essential to success.
“Our three wins last weekend can all be accredited to either strong pitching performances, solid hitting or a combination of both. I was very pleased with the way we played in those games,” Reeves said.
In their home opener Saturday afternoon against St. Mary’s, ACU turned the bats on and senior pitcher Brittany Rexroat threw a solid five innings, allowing five hits and four runs in that span, proving Reeves’s previous hypothesis correct. The ACU offense shelled out 10 hits and took advantage of five Rattler errors en route to a 15-4 win.
Three Wildcats accumulated multiple hits in the effort, including junior Erin Gilliland, from Midland, who hit a walk-off grand slam, giving ACU the win due to the 10-run mercy rule. Gilliland had three hits and six RBI’s while also scoring twice and hitting a double.
In the night cap, the previously loud ACU offense went silent at the hand and arm of West Texas A&M pitcher Shelby Cockrell, who tossed a no-hitter against the ‘Cats and acted as a catalyst in the No. 6 Lady Buffs’ 11-0 win.
“You’ve got to give her lots of credit,” Reeves said. “She had our number and was throwing very well. She was mixing her pitches up and just made it hard on our batters.”
Sunday the Wildcats rebounded from the West Texas A&M loss in resilient fashion. In game one, Shelby Hall threw the ‘Cats to victory over Texas Woman’s 6-3, pitching a complete game allowing only three runs striking out four. Up 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth, ACU opened up their lead when they added four runs. Brianna Fowlkes singled home Kaylee Crozier. Then Gilliland continued to swing a hot bat, drilling a double off the wall, scoring Ashley Calles and Lyndi Smith.
Freshman Peyton Mosley picked up a win in her first ever collegiate start in a 5-2 win over Cameron during Sunday’s night game. Mosley threw a complete game, allowing seven hits, two runs and striking out seven.
ACU got on the board early in the first and would add three more in the third inning when Valentina Nabayan scorched a home run over the center field wall to put ACU up 4-0.
A Kelsy Hebert home run for Cameron would make the score 4-2, but the Wildcats held on.
ACU would add an insurance run in the sixth when Sarah Martinez hit her first home run of the season, solidifying the 5-2 victory.
The Wildcats improve to 4-4 on the season after a 3-1 showing last weekend. The team will travel to Oklahoma next weekend for the South Central Regional Crossover Tournament.
