The game on Tuesday at Crutcher Scott Field against University of Texas at Arlington was a defensive battle until late. The Wildcats lost a close one 2-0.
Senior pitcher Brock Barger was on the mound to start the game Tuesday night and had a great outing, but the Wildcats struggled to drive in runs. Barger came out strong with two strikeouts in the first inning.
With runners on first and third in the top of the third inning, the Wildcats keep the game scoreless with 3-6-3 double play to end the inning. ACU got a runner on themselves in the bottom of the third with a two-out double from junior infielder Dalton Dunn to right-field, but the Wildcats leave Dunn stranded.
More of the same comes in the bottom of the fourth after senior outfielder/pitcher Derek Scott got on base with an infield single. Barger stranded a runner in the fifth inning and adds another strikeout, adding to his two already, in the sixth inning.
Dunn got on-base again in the bottom of the sixth inning and stole his way into scoring position, but the Wildcats leave him stranded again.
Hunter Spaeth came into the game for Barger in the seventh inning, after an incredible performance allowing zero runs. Barger allowed five hits, one walk and struck out three batters in six innings.
The seventh inning was another scoreless inning for the Mavericks thanks to senior first baseman Riley Donahue who fielded a difficult backhanded ground ball and finished the play by sliding to the first base bag to beat out the runner. He also caught a towering fly ball headed toward the Wildcats dugout.
The damage came in the eighth inning from Anthony Dominguez, formerly apart of the ACU baseball team, with a crushing solo home run to right field, landing in the Wildcats bullpen. Dominguez broke the scoreless game making it 1-0 in the eighth.
The Wildcats tried to answer in the bottom half of the inning with a double hit off the right field wall from senior outfielder Matt Munoz with only one out. Munoz ran to third after a wild pitch from the Mavericks, but the UT Arlington retired two batters in a row ending the inning and keeping the Wildcats scoreless.
The Mavericks add an unearned run in the top of the ninth inning. ACU did not answer in their last chance at the plate. UT Arlington retired all three batters in the bottom of the ninth to end the game.
