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Contributed by Lance Fleming, Associate Director of Athletics for Media Relations
ABILENE - Nothing fancy. Nothing out of the ordinary. Nothing spectacular. Instead, the ACU Wildcats opened the 2016 baseball season with a bundle of basics: strong pitching, timely offense and steady defense.
And when Friday's season-opener was over, the Wildcats had opened the campaign with a 5-2 win over Texas Rio-Grande Valley in front of 1,091 fans at refurbished Crutcher Scott Field. The Wildcats and Vaqueros will continue the four-game set Saturday with a 1 p.m. doubleheader.
Kyle Carroll - who played the infield last year - got the first start of his career on the mound and was spectacular. The senior from Richmond, Mo., went six innings, scattering three hits and one walk while striking out four and giving up one unearned run. He picked up the win for the first collegiate win of his career.
"I thought our entire team confident, and Kyle led the charge by giving us six solid innings on the mound," said ACU head coach Britt Bonneau, who is entering his 20 th season as the Wildcats' leader. "He's going to really help us on the mound, and his success will move someone else down into the bullpen, which will make that grouop even better."
The Wildcats started four freshmen Friday afternoon and they combined for six hits and two RBI. Willie Harris had three runs, one run scored and one RBI, while shortstop Mark Pearson, first baseman David Ruot and centerfielder Hunter Markwardt had one hit apiece. Harris and Markwardt each had RBI hits for the Wildcats, who collected 11 hits.
ACU wasted little time getting on the board in 2016 with single runs in each of the first two innings on a sacrifice fly by senior Heath Beasley and a Markwardt RBI single. The Wildcats tacked on another run in the bottom of the fourth when Harris scored on a passed ball to make it 3-0.
After the Vaquesros got on the board with a single run in the top of the fifth, ACU finally answered back with two runs in the seventh. The bottom part of the Wildcats' lineup got things going with two outs when Braxton Wilks singled to center ad went to second on a single by Alex Copeland.
Harris followed with an RBI single to center field to make it 4-1 before Harris and Copeland (stealing home) pulled off a perfect double steal to make it 5-1. UT Rio Grande Valley would add one run in the eighth against reliever Nate Cole, but Brandon Lambright closed the door in the ninth inning for his first save.
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