The Wildcats struggled against Northwestern State, winning just one game in the 4-game series.
ACU began the first game Thursday by allowing two runs in the fifth inning. The Wildcats then responded with a run of their own from junior first baseman Hunter Gieser. Gieser scored the tying run in the seventh inning while NSU was held to no runs after the fifth inning.
“We knew it was going to be a battle going into extra innings but we were ready for it from the start” Said junior pitcher Genner Cervantes. “We knew we had to find some energy to really come up with the win.”
The first game ended 8-2 as NSU was able to hold ACU off from scoring in the bottom of the 12th.
“Genner gave us a great start by giving up three hits and walking one” head coach Rick McCarty said. “He did a really good job on their left hander who had a really good ERA coming in.”
Cervantes was able to hold off NSU to not a single baserunner up until the forth inning. Cervantes was then hit near the head by a ball causing him to the fall to the ground for a short time.
After being checked by medical staff he was back on the mound for the rest of the game holding NSU to a scoreless game. ACU came out on top 11-0 after a series of errors made by NSU in the fourth and fifth innings. The game ultimately ended in mercy rule making the series 1-1.
The third game of the series began shortly after the conclusion of the second. Both teams were at a stalemate until the fourth inning when NSU scored the first two runs of the game.
Sophomore designated hitter Mitchell Dickson and junior right fielder Colton Eager both scored in the eighth inning, but it ultimately wasn’t enough with NSU winning 5-1. With this loss ACU fell 1-2 against NSU coming into the final game Saturday.
“Ultimately to win this last game and split the series we need to unite as a team and try to finish the job” said Geiser.
The last game came down to the wire again with ACU tying NSU’s five runs in the bottom of the ninth with a walk-off run. Coming into extra innings for the second time of the series, NSU scored a single run in the 10th inning while also holding off ACU to win the series 3-1.
The Wildcats begin their Southeastern Louisiana series Friday night in Hammond, Louisiana. The series can be watched on ESPN+.
