The softball team made progress last week when they played against Prairie View A&M Panthers for two back-to-back double headers. ACU went 3-1 both days, only losing the second game on Tuesday, 6-9.

The Wildcats defeated the Panthers 10-0 in the first game of the series, on a total of 14 hits. Senior outfielders Madison Buckley, Courtney Flanary and Lyndi Smith each scored two runs. Senior outfielder Ashley Nolan, freshman infielder Kyla Simmons, outfielder Taylor Brown and utility player Tori Valdivia each drove in one run.

“The highlight to me was speaking with our bats,” said Jacquelyn Perez, sophomore outfielder. “The other team wanted to win talking, so we lit up their pitcher and started putting runs up on the board.”

The Wildcats not only had to have physical motivation to win the games, but also mental motivation. The series against Prairie View A&M was held over spring break and called for less rest than the usual break.

“We figured if we fought hard and won we could be given time off and have a spring break,” Perez said. “And we did just that.”

Prairie View only tallied three hits in the first game, but were able to compete in the second game as they scored nine runs, five of which came in the fifth inning.

The second double header was a high scoring day for the Wildcats. ACU won 13-4 in the first game. Brown scored a total of four runs for that game, making her the player with the most runs for the complete series.

“As a freshman, playing Div. I softball has really demanded more from me as a player than in high school,” Brown said. “The competition has really stepped up, as well as the pitching.”

ACU scored nine runs in the first inning of their final game, finishing with one run in the second and fourth innings. The game went five innings as the series against Prairie View A&M came to a close.

The wins have put ACU at 8-15 overall. The Wildcats will prepare for a three-game series against the University of Incarnate Word this weekend in San Antonio.