The Wildcats lost their fifth game in a row to fall to 6-36 on the season and 3-9 in conference play after getting swept in their weekend series against the Southern Utah Thunderbirds, marking the first time ACU has been swept in a conference series this season.

In the first matchup of the series in a doubleheader on Friday, the Wildcats lost 11-3 in five innings and lost the second game 7-6 in eight innings.

On offense, Elizabeth Schafer, senior first baseman from Rockwall, led the way through the first two games. With a one-run home run in the first game and three hits, two runs and three RBIs in the second game.

In the second game, the Wildcats were down 5-3 entering the seventh inning but scored three runs to take the lead. The first runs scored came off a Schafer double to left field to bring two runs in.

The final game of the series got off to a rough start for ACU as Oliver Lindsey, junior right-handed pitcher from Watauga, gave up three runs in the first inning and walked two batters in the bottom of the second before Ella Beeman replaced her.

Beeman, junior right-handed pitcher from Lowell, Arkansas, pitched four innings, giving up only two earned runs in 20 batters faced.

With the three losses, ACU now sits in last place in the Western Athletic Conference standings, one spot outside of making the conference tournament. The Wildcats are currently behind Utah Tech, which has a conference record of 3-9 and an overall record of 16-28.

“Obviously, it’s not the result that we wanted,” head coach Jo Koons said. “I think you go out there anticipating that series goes a different way. Battling for a spot in the conference tournament had a chance to be able to separate ourselves and that was not the outcome.”

ACU is currently scheduled to play Utah Tech on the road in its final series of the season on May 1 and May 2.

Koons said the biggest message to her team after the losses is just to be consistent and not lose hope because they’re still playing for something with two series left.

One of those series will be the Wildcats’ final home series against the California Baptist Lancers, beginning with a doubleheader on Friday and a game on Saturday. It will also be senior day for ACU on Saturday.

With no midweek game and no travel, ACU will have a longer week of practice, something Koons said will be beneficial to her team.

The Lancers will enter the weekend coming off a loss to Cal State Fullerton on Tuesday, 2-0. They are currently first in the WAC with a 10-2 conference record, 35-15 season record and 7-3 in their last 10 games.

“Cal Baptist is top of the conference,” Koons said. “Big series coming for senior day and representing ACU and all that our seniors have done here. So, a chance to celebrate them, but also we have to take care of business.”