The ACU softball team headed to Nacogdoches last weekend to play the Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks in a doubleheader that ended in a split.
The Wildcats defeated Stephen F. Austin 4-3 in game one on Saturday. The game was a thriller because it spanned into ten innings. Ladyjacks pitcher, Carlie Thomas, kept the Wildcats from scoring for six straight innings.
Ladyjack’s Katelyn Standley homered to right-center in the fourth inning, and Lindsay Campbell scored on a passed ball in the fifth inning, leaving ACU trailing.
In the seventh inning, sophomore center fielder Paige Stevens hit a double to the left-center gap that sent Anna Jones and Demi McNulty home to score.
ACU was then tied with Stephen F. Austin until three innings later when Madison Buckley hit a double to right-center and sent home Lyndi Smith to score. Ashley Nolan then hit a single while Buckley scored.
The game ended after the Ladyjacks made their final run in the bottom of the 10th.
“Our pitchers came into the games confident and let our defense and offense perform,” Stevens said.
After the win the energy level changed for the Wildcats, causing them to lose the second game 4-12.
ACU jumped to gain a two-point lead in the first, but was left trailing after the Ladyjacks scored three in their first possession.
“I think the difference between the first game and second game was the energy level,” Stevens said. “The first game we came out pumped and hungry for the series, versus the second game when we came out with the previous games in mind.”
The rest of the game remained a battle for both teams. SFA scored one run in the second, three in the third and three in the fourth.
ACU gathered their last runs in the third inning as they came to their total of four. The Ladyjacks kept putting up runs and in the bottom of the sixth they ended with two runs.
The Ladyjacks pitcher, Brittany Lewis, allowed just nine hits as the Wildcat pitchers Peyton Mosley, Emily Seidel and Hannah Null let 14 hits get by.
The split leaves ACU 16-19 overall and 5-3 in the Southland Conference. The Wildcats will take a break in conference play and face the University of Texas at Arlington in Abilene on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
ACU will return to conference play this weekend as they play against Lamar University in Abilene.
