Fresh off a conference season-opening sweep of Southeastern Louisiana last weekend, the Wildcats return to action when they hit the road against Northwestern State.
ACU swept the lady Lions with a come-from behind 3-2 victory, a 7-0 shutout thrown by freshman Sidney Holman and 12-5 win in which the Wildcats used a huge sixth inning to clinch the game.
“We are a great team.” junior shortstop Peyton Hedrick said. “Offensively, defensively, and pitching, we just have to show up.”
The victories push the women’s conference record to a perfect 3-0 and overall record to 13-12.
Hannah Null pitched the opener Friday, going five innings with five strikeouts, but the Wildcats struggled to capture big plays as several opportunities slipped through their fingers.
First baseman Mahalia Gibson hit a two-run homerun in the first inning putting SELU up 2-0 early on.
But ACU rallied behind junior Brianna Barnhill solo home run in the second to bring the deficit to 2-1, and junior Holly Neese’s reached on an infield single to tie the game in the seventh. Freshman Tori Poullard got her second walk-off at bat with a sacrifice fly to bring in Hedrick for the winning score.
Along with Holman’s dominant performance ACU put together a second inning where it scored seven runs on eight hits to plate the only runs of the game. With that win Holman improves to 7-3 on the year with five complete games and three shutouts.
“Just gotta keep doing whatever it takes to win the games.” Neese said. “It feels great.”
The final game of the series the Wildcats earned a 12-5 win thanks in large part to a 10-run sixth inning. Southeastern got out in front 5-2 off a fifth inning grand slam, but ACU responded in the sixth beginning with a bases-loaded walk by senior Kaleigh Singleton. After the Wildcats took an 8-5 lead on a single by Braegan Hamilton, Hedrick’s and Barnhill homered to push the score to its 12-5 final. Holman would also earn her eighth victory of the year in the season finale.
ACU begins the road portion of its conference schedule as it takes on Northwestern State in Natchitoches, Louisiana. The lady Demons were swept by Lamar in their conference opening series last weekend.
