The Wildcats season closed in the WAC Tournament following losses to Utah Valley and Seattle.
ACU met No. 5 Utah Valley Wednesday afternoon, where they lost 7-0.
Sidney Holman-Mansell, graduate pitcher from Belton, started for the Wildcats and lasted 6.2 innings. While in, Holman-Mansell recorded five strikeouts and five runs on six hits. Lauren Schiek, graduate pitcher from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, came in to close for ACU for a third of an inning. Schiek allowed two runs on two hits and allowed one walk.
Utah Valley was able to shut out the Wildcats by only allowing three hits in the entire game. Utah Valley’s Brooke Carter, junior pitcher from Spanish Fork, Utah, pitched a complete game and only gained four strikeouts, one less than Holman-Mansell.
In the fourth inning, Utah Valley was able to gain their first run on a wild pitch. Then in the seventh inning, everything clicked allowing them to gain six more runs. Utah Valley’s Peyton Prigge, junior outfielder from Phoenix, Arizona, hit a grand slam to left field to close the game, 7-0.
In the losing bracket, ACU met No. 3 Seattle Thursday night, receiving the loss 3-1.
Holman-Mansell started for her last time for the Wildcats, ending in a complete game. She struck out eight batters and only allowed four hits. Seattle’s Carley Nance, graduate pitcher from Maple Valley, Washington, also threw a complete game, striking out six batters and allowing two hits.
Seattle started off strong in the first inning, sending the ball up through the right side, and putting in a run. Then in the fourth inning, the Wildcats came back with an unearned run by a fielding error, tying up the game. Not long after in the bottom of the fourth, Seattle tripled down the right-field line, sending in a run. Then right after, they gained another run, unearned, by a throwing error by ACU, ending the game 3-1.
The Wildcats finish out their season with a 25-26 record and a 15-9 conference record. With top wins against Texas Tech and Idaho State, the softball program is using that momentum to push into next season and another WAC Tournament.
