Baseball wrapped up its regular season with a close series with Sam Houston in Huntsville.
The series started with a 10-5 win on Thursday, but the Wildcats fell short in the next two games. The losses included a 12-inning game Friday afternoon where the lead changed hand four times.
Game one would be an all-around showing for the Wildcats, collecting 13 hits and ten runs while only allowing five runs. The offensive efforts were led by junior catcher Mitchell Dickson of Flower Mound.
Dickson collected four hits in five at-bats driving in one run and scoring two. On the other side of the ball, ACU starter, sophomore right-handed pitcher Tyler Morgan of Flower Mound, allowed four hits and one earned run through five innings pitched.
Friday’s matchup would prove to be a test of endurance for the Wildcats. ACU left the first inning down 2-1; after tying it up in the fourth, the game would remain tied going into extra innings.
The top of the tenth would burst the scoreless bubble with the Wildcats managing three runs thanks in part to a two-run single from junior outfielder Grayson Tatrow of Mansfield. Despite this, the Bearkats responded with three runs, keeping the game tied going into the eleventh.
In the twelfth inning, with bases loaded, freshman outfielder and left-handed pitcher Adam Byrd of Mesquite balked, scoring the winning run for the Bearkats ending the marathon game.
The season finale would end with another walk-off for the Bearkats, tied 4-4 in the ninth. Despite the 5-4 loss, ACU starter, junior left-handed pitcher Adam Stephenson of Southlake, went 6.2 innings, giving up five hits and one run.
The loss resulted in the Wildcats finishing 26-27 and 14-16 in their first year in WAC Conference play. ACU finished fourth in the WAC Southwest division, which Sam Houston won.
This sets up a matchup with the No. 1 seed Grand Canyon in the WAC tournament in Mesa, AZ. GCU, currently ranked 25th nationally, has had a stellar season finishing 25-5 in conference play.
Despite the tough draw in the first round McCarty says his guys are ready to get out and play.
“There’s an opportunity to knock them off,” McCarty said. “But same point and time we’re trying to do everything we need to do to set us up for a good championship run this week. So I think the guys are super loose, super ready to compete, you know? Ready to get out here and get after it and put on a good showing. You know, I think that’s the thing I think they want more than anything.”
The game will take place at tonight 9 p.m. central time at Hohokam Stadium and streaming on ESPN+.
