The Wildcats continued its Southland Conference Tournament journey with a game on Thursday. The first-seeded ACU went up against fourth-seeded Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders.
ACU took an early lead in the third inning. Sophomore outfielder Grayson Tatrow hit a home run giving the Wildcats the lead by one. The homer put Tatrow in double-digit home runs for the season. The last one occurred in game three against Sam Houston earlier this season.
Sophomore starting pitcher Adam Stephenson got into a bad situation at the top sixth. Corpus Christi ended up getting two batters on base with two outs remaining. The Islanders scored a single run off of this and tied the game. This caused Stephenson to be taken out of the remainder of the game. ACU was held to their one run going into the seventh inning. The Islanders took a 2-1 lead at the top of the seventh after scoring a home run with one out remaining.
At the bottom of the eighth junior outfielder, Colton Eager and Tatrow walked after Corpus Christi brought in their relief pitcher. Junior designated hitter Tommy Cruz came up to bat and hit a sacrificial bunt advancing Eager and Tatrow to second and third base. Freshman outfielder Miller Ladusau came up right after and hit a home run opposite field, giving ACU the lead 4-2.
Ladusau’s home run will be his seventh of the year, with his previous coming from the first game against SFA during his three-series streak straight of recording a home run.
Junior pitcher Tanner Riley took over in the ninth inning while ACU was still ahead by two runs. Corpus Christi scored once in the ninth inning, bringing ACU’s lead down to one. Riley ultimately held the Islanders to one run, giving the Wildcats its second win of the tournament 4-3.
ACU will play the winner of tomorrow morning’s game at 9 a.m between the fourth-seeded A&M Corpus Christi Islanders and fifth-seeded Sam Houston Bearkats. The Islanders beat the Bearkats yesterday in the first round of the Southland Conference Tournament.
The Wildcats’ third Southland Conference Tournament game will be broadcast on ESPN+ at 4 p.m. on Friday.
