The Wildcats dropped game one of their three-game series with no. 22 Oklahoma State in Stillwater Friday afternoon. The 8-2 final moves ACU to 8-5 on the season and 2-3 on the road.
It took just two sings for the Cowboys to jump out to a 5-0 lead. After a walk and a double with one out in the fourth inning, sophomore outfielder Jon Littell cleared the bases with a three-run home run to left field. Two innings later, junior first baseman Dustin Williams sent one over the left-center wall to make it 5-0 Cowboys on a two-strike pitch.
Senior Kyle Carroll was charged with his second loss of the season. Carroll went 5.0 innings and gave up six runs, five earned, three walks and three strikeouts. Early on, Carroll did a solid job of keeping Oklahoma State off the bases. He gave up two hits through the first three innings, before the three-run fourth.
The Cowboys added three more runs in the seventh inning on the strength of two-run double and a sac fly. Sophomore Collin Dudley came on in relief after Carroll. Dudley gave up three runs on two hits in one inning.
ACU got on the scoreboard in the eighth inning. After back-t0-back strikeouts to start the frame, the Wildcats strung together four-straight singles to plate two runners. With the bases loaded, freshman second baseman Hunter Hays singled to center field for two RBIs.
The Wildcats had a tough time solving Cowboy’s starting sophomore pitcher Thomas Hatch. Through 8.0 innings, Hatch limited the ACU offense two eight hits, two runs and eight strike outs. The Wildcats didn’t register a base runner until the fourth inning, when the led off the inning with a single through the right side fell through for junior left fielder Braxton Wilks.
Wilks led ACU out of the leadoff spot with three hits. Hays two-run single was all ACU could manage and freshman center fielder Hunter Markwardt went 2-for-3 with a run scored. Senior Nate Cole recorded the final six outs for ACU, as he allowed no base runners in the final two innings.
The Wildcats will look to even the series tomorrow for game two at 2 p.m.
