The Wildcats (23-8, 8-4) dropped just their first series of the season this weekend falling two games to one against Sam Houston State (20-13, 12-3)
After unfortunate weather conditions would cause Friday night’s game to be rescheduled to Saturday, The Wildcats would head to Huntsville to take on the Bearkats in a Saturday doubleheader with an Easter Sunday series finale.
In game one, the Bearkats would get up early on a leadoff solo home run in the bottom of the first to put them up 1-0.
In the top of the second, senior catcher Tanner Tweedt would respond with a home run of his own to tie up the game at 1-1. That would be the only run scored by the Wildcats in the game as ACU would struggle to get the offense going for the remainder of the game.
SHSU would have a big second inning to get up 5-1 off of two RBI singles and a run walked in.
The remainder of the game would be a pitchers’ duel as the Bearkats would not grab another hit for the remainder of the game with ACU’s only other hit coming from junior outfielder Logan Britt in the top of the ninth inning.
The Bearkats would take a 5-1 win taking the first game of the series.
In game two of Saturday’s doubleheader, senior right-hander Brek Eichelberger would be on the mound for the Wildcats.
After two hitless innings, the Wildcats would get on the board in the third off of a solo homerun from junior infielder Crew Parke. Eichelberger would get out of two jams in the first two innings before being replaced by senior left-hander Adam Stephenseon in the third.
After SHSU would get one on the board in the bottom of the fourth, Britt would smash a homerun into right in the bottom of the sixth followed by another solo shot from junior infielder Bash Randle to start off the eighth.
Junior right-hander Blake Anderson would come in to pitch in the ninth and after getting the first two batters out, give up a solo homerun and eventually a two run double allowing the Bearkats to sneak out a 4-3 win.
Heading into game three, ACU would look to avoid the sweep and pull out a win on Easter Sunday.
The Wildcats would start the game off swinging, scoring two in the first inning off of a single from freshman catcher Maddox Miesse and a double from Randle. Junior infielder Garrett Williams would bring home another one in the second to make it 3-0 Wildcats.
ACU would grab four more runs in the third off of an RBI from four different players and extend the lead to 7-0. SHSU seemed to have found their footing in the next two innings scoring three runs in the third and two in the fourth to cut into the ACU lead.
After a hitless fifth and sixth from both teams, ACU would leave three on base in the seventh and SHSU would tally one more to make it 7-6.
In the eighth, Miesse would bring home Britt on an RBI single to give the Wildcats a two run lead heading into the last inning, the same scenario they found themselves in the day before.
However this time the Wildcats would come out on top allowing one more run before grabbing the final out and taking the game 8-7.
The Wildcats are back in action on Tuesday when they take on TCU. The Horned Frogs took the first matchup of the season back in March 7-0. The game will be on Tuesday at 6:05 p.m. at Crutcher Scott Field with the game streaming live on ESPN+.
Quotes will be added following head coach Rick McCarty’s next press conference.
