Softball traveled to Huntsville for a conference battle with Southland heavyweight Sam Houston State, but the Wildcats struggled to a 1-2 record for the weekend, despite matching the Bearkats exact scoring output over the three-game series.

Sam Houston improved their record to 20-22 and 11-10 in conference play, with the two huge wins over ACU.

The Wildcats did strike first, and looked poised to take another conference series victory. Senior Kaleigh Singleton singled down the line in the second inning of game one to give ACU an early 1-0 lead, scoring senior Casey May-Huff. Senior Peyton Hedrick, added to the total when she drilled a solo shot over the fence and pushed the lead to 2-0. Junior Holly Neese then flied out in the fifth to bring Hedrick home for 3-0 lead, which was all freshman ace Sidney Holman needed to earn her 18th victory of the season. She went all seven innings and recorded five strikeouts as she improved to 18-4.

The second game, Sam Houston jumped out to a 2-0 lead and recorded five hits and took advantage of four ACU errors to defeat the Wildcats 3-2. Hannah Null pitched a six-inning  game with four strikeouts, but fell to 10-13 on the campaign.

With the series tied at one a piece after Friday’s double header, each team headed into Saturday hoping to earn a series-defining win. Unfortunately ACU was done in by a pinch-hit double in the bottom of the sixth. Hedrick grounded out and brought in a run in the third for the first runs of the game, but the Bearkats quickly responded with two of its own on a Tiffany Thompson two-run shot.

ACU was given life in the top of the sixth when Neese singled and brought in Hedrick to tie the game at 2-2. But the Wildcats hope of a comeback was dashed on a Hannah Marino, two RBI double, which gave the Bearkats the 4-2 win.

The Wildcats fall to 28-18 overall and 16-5 in conference play. They will return home for a three-game series with Central Arkansas starting on Friday.