Thanks to a three-run homerun by Brianna Fowlkes and three stellar outings by pitcher Caitlyn Crain, the ACU softball team walked away with another series victory over Cameron University Friday afternoon.
The Wildcats won two of the three games in the series, improving their record to (25-10, 11-6) and moving into a tie for third place in the Lone Star Conference standings.
On Friday, Fowlkes, a senior infielder, hit a three-run homerun in the sixth inning to break open a tie game that gave ACU a 4-1 lead en route to a 5-1 win. Crain was able to put the Aggies away in the top of the seventh to close the game on a winning note.
“Our girls seem to have an eye for the dramatic,” head coach Bobby Reeves said. “They are never down or discouraged because we’re losing or tied. They just persevere and give one hundred percent all the time. That mentality has been paying off all year.”
Cameron scored its only run in the bottom of the first, and the Aggies maintained that lead until the top of the fourth when ACU notched a run on an Erin Gilliland RBI single.
Fowlkes then put the game out of reach in the sixth. With one out, Kimberly Briggs advanced to second base on a single by Courtney Flanary. Megan Brigance followed by striking out, and then Fowlkes blasted a homerun to deep left field that proved to be the nail in the coffin for the Aggies.
ACU added one insurance run in the seventh. Sophomore Lyndi Smith led off with a double then advanced to second on a Keanna Winkfield single. Smith scored on an RBI groundout by Madison Buckley.
Crain continues her dominance on the mound, as the junior threw seven complete innings, allowing a mere five hits and one run. She also had two strikeouts and allowed zero walks en route to improving her record to 12-3.
“We came off a good series against West Texas A&M and were all pumped,” Crain said. “We knew we had it in us, we just need to go out there and play as hard as we can. Luckily, we did that.”
In the opener Thursday, Crain, once again was the storyline of the game. She threw a complete game, five-hitter that was a big part of the Wildcats’ 4-1 win to open the three-game series.
The game was scoreless until the fifth inning when Smith smoked a two-out, two-run homerun off of Aggie starter Cheyenne Brown. The homerun was Smith’s fifth of the season.
ACU added two more runs in the sixth to build a 4-0 lead. Sara Vaughn and Briggs reached base to begin the inning, and then following a double steal, both scored on a Flanary single to leftfield.
Cameron, however, responded in the bottom of the sixth when Amanda Karth hit an RBI single. But Crain closed the door quickly on any chance of an Aggie comeback, retiring the final four batters she faced.
Crain once again threw a complete game, five-hitter against an Aggie lineup she seems to have figured out.
“Caitlyn is a competitor and is out to win every time she steps onto the diamond,” Reeves said. “She is always going to force the hitters to bring their ‘A’ game.”
In the second game of Thursday’s doubleheader, ACU fell behind early and had a rally attempt fall short en route to a 4-3 loss.
ACU fell behind 3-0 as the Aggies strung together a three-run third inning. But, the Wildcats put together a valiant rally attempt, scoring three runs in the top of the seventh to knot the game at 3.
Winkfield hit a two-run triple before Briggs hit a sacrifice fly that scored Winkfield to tie the game.
Shelby Hall started the game for ACU, but was pulled in the third after surrendering eight hits and three runs. Crain relieved Hall, and threw the final four innings of the game, allowing three hits and one run.
“Knowing that there are three very capable pitchers available at all times is a very nice thing,” Crain said. “I know that when I don’t have my best stuff or an just off that either Peyton or Shelby can come in and clean up my mess. The same is true for the other two as well. We all can rely on each other.”
Crain retired the first two batters of the seventh before giving up an infield single to Drew Wright and then a game-ending double to Tara Martini that drove in Wright with the winning run.
Crain finished the three-game series throwing 18 innings and allowing a slim three runs.
