The Wildcats plated 35 runs over a two-game span to sweep a five-game season series from Mississippi Valley State University and snap a seven-game losing streak.
In game one of the series on Tuesday night the offense was propelled by five runs in the third and two four-run innings in the the sixth and eighth inning en route to a 15-6 win. Junior first baseman Riley Donahue led the offensive explosion with a 3-for-5, five RBI performance. Donahue’s success at the plate was sparked by a third inning double that scored junior transfer Matt Munoz and freshman Zach Smith and gave the Wildcats a lead they would never relinquish.
Junior transfer Brennan Lewis earned his fourth win of the season after starting the game and going four innings where he allowed four hits and just one earned run.
“Both games were kind of challenging days to be honest,” Bonneau said. “But the bottom of our order had nine hits [in the first game] and I was really impressed with the way the younger guys handled themselves.”
In game two the offense was able to increase their scoring output, posting its second 20-run effort of the season with a 20-4 victory. The Wildcats managed to so with some timely hitting after the Delta Devils’ pitching staff issued 20 walks to ACU hitters. Freshman Dalton Dunn led patient hitting approach, drawing four walks on the night, while also producing three hits and one RBI.
Junior Derek Scott had a game-high four RBI’s on two singles and a ground out that scored junior Nolan Ritchie. Junior Colton Brasher was the winning pitcher in the 20-4 rout, going five innings and allowing one earned run.
“Those two games came at a crucial time for us,” Bonneau said. “We got to win a couple of games and feel good about our last seven games. During finals week we usually have short practices, but to have two games that we could just be out there and playing and it meant something allowed us to get something out of the day.”
Next up for the Wildcats is a four-game road trip that will include a visit to Northwestern State this weekend and a stop in San Antonio for a midweek game against the University of Texas-San Antonio next Tuesday.
At 21-26 overall and 5-19 in conference the Wildcats’ conference tournament hopes have faded, but Bonneau said there is still a lot to play for.
“Obviously there is that chance of us being .500 or above,” Bonneau said. But we also know that any win past this point is one more win that we’ve ever had as a div. 1 program. And I think there are a lot of these young guys that are trying to kind of claim their land and claim who they are. So there is still a lot of that stuff that they have to prove. These seven games are good time for us to evaluate that for the future as well.”
ACU will then close out its season at home with a three-game series against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi beginning May 17.
