The No. 25 ACU softball team won its first series in Lone Star Conference play Saturday in San Antonio against Incarnate Word.
The Wildcats (14-3, 2-1) won the final game 4-2 Saturday against the Cardinals (10-6, 1-2), and in the process, took the series 2-1.
Saturday, junior ace Caitlyn Crain improved to 7-0 after allowing a mere two hits in the 4-2 win. Crain is among the nation’s best, sporting a 1.53 earned run average. Crain retired the first 11 batters she faced and did not allow her first hit – an infield single – until the sixth inning. She allowed a second hit in the seventh, but that runner was left stranded following two consecutive outs that ended the game.
“Caitlyn is a great pitcher and she threw very well against Incarnate Word,” head coach Bobby Reeves said. “She loves to compete and loves a challenge, and she excelled last weekend.”
The Cardinals’ two runs were unearned in the sixth inning as two Incarnate Word batters reached on errors. Kim Hanson advanced to second on an error, and then a two-base throwing error allowed Hanson to score and Ashley Freeman to advance to third base. Lea Padilla aided the team by scoring Freeman on a sacrifice fly to centerfield that cut the score to 4-2.
The ACU offense got the ball rolling early, scoring its four runs in the first two innings. Junior Sara Vaughn hit a double, scoring Keanna Winkfield from second base for the game’s first run. Vaughn then scored on a wild pitch.
In the second, Winkfield smoked a two-RBI single that scored Sarah Martinez and Courtney Flanary.
“With the help of my coaches they talked to me about the different adjustments I could make at the plate just simply going back to the basics and doing the little things,” Winkfield said. “Those adjustments really helped me and my approach at the plate.”
Winkfield added to an already impressive game with another hit in the fifth, finishing 3 for 4 with a run, stolen base and two RBI’s.
“Keanna is such a versatile player,” Reeves said. “She has so many abilities that she shows on the field. She had a great series against Incarnate Word.”
The Wildcats began LSC play Friday against the Cardinals and got off on the right foot. The team rallied for five runs in their final three at-bats to win the first game of the doubleheader 5-2.
ACU trailed 2-0 until the team scored three runs in the fifth to take the lead. Single runs in the sixth and seventh put the nail in the coffin for the Cardinals.
Madison Buckley hit an RBI single, and then Winkfield doubled in two runs to put ACU in front 3-2 in the fifth. Flanary drove in a run with an RBI single in the sixth and Vaughn hit a solo homerun in the seventh.
Crain went the distance, throwing seven innings and giving up only five hits.
In the second game of the doubleheader, the Cardinals scored two runs in the third and two in the fourth, proving to be enough against sophomore pitcher Peyton Mosley. Mosley (4-3) allowed nine hits over six innings.
UIW outfielder Alex Yarbrough had a two-run homerun in the third, which proved to be the biggest blow for the Wildcats.
Winkfield finished the series with four hits and four RBI’s.
“That series win is crucial for us as a team,” Winkfield said. “They are a very big threat in conference, so it’s nice to start out with two wins against them.”
ACU will be back in action Friday for a three-game series against Texas Woman’s. The teams will play a doubleheader Friday starting at 5 p.m., and play one game at 1 p.m. Saturday.
