ACU (12-20, 4-7) dropped its three-game series to Utah Valley (12-17, 6-3), ending the weekend with back-to-back losses. After dominating the first game 10-2, the Wildcats lost momentum and fell to the Wolverines 4-5 and 2-5.
In game one of Fridays double-header, the Wildcats were able to plate one run in the first but the Wolverines would quickly respond, tying the game on a solo homer in the second. In the top of the second , the Wildcats began to build a substantial lead scoring five in the inning and going up 6-1. The team continued to pile it on in the fourth, scoring four more and junior pitcher Lina Russo would close out the complete game for the Wildcats and earn the 10-2 vicotry at the end of the fifth.
“It’s really fun to come out of the gates just pounding,” head coach Abigail Farler said. “We put a lot of good balls in play, our base running was a lot of fun, very aggressive and we took some risks and forced some things. So I was really happy on the offensive side there.”
In game two, the Wildcats got in a hole early, down 5-0 through the first three and a half innings. The team was able to plate two runs in the fourth and two in the sixth but could not complete the comeback victory, falling in the back-half of the double-header 5-4
In the series’ third game, ACU had a slow start and did not score until the third inning when sophomore infielder Sammie Shelander hit an RBI single to drive in junior outfielder Olivia Marble to tie the score 1-1. However, the Wolverines took advantage of the Wildcats in the fifth and sixth innings, scoring four runs to advance their lead to 5-1.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, junior utility player Catrin Hoffman, batted one run in to make it a 5-2 game, which would eventually be the final in the series finale as Russo would take the loss for ACU.
ACU had five hits in the final game of the series with Hoffman recording the teams only extra-base hit.
“We are right there,” Farler said. “In every statistical category we look a lot stronger. We are growing and trying to remind the team in all of these areas we are better, we just have to make some key adjustments or make a key play here or a ball-in-play here to push it over into the W column.”
The Wildcats will host Texas Tech on Wednesday with first pitch set for 5 p.m. at Poly Wells Field.
