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Contributed by: ACU Athletic Media Communications
ABILENE - Abilene Christian baseball snapped a two-game losing streak Saturday behind a pair of well-pitched games against Northeastern at Crutcher Scott Field.
Garrett deMeyere and Nick Palacios combined to blank the Huskies, 1-0, in game one, and in game two the Wildcats came back from a 2-0 deficit to win 4-3.
Incredibly, both nine inning games were played in under two hours. Game one lasted one hour and 51 minutes, and game two was clocked at one hour and 59 minutes.
The Wildcats (6-2) and Huskies (3-4) conclude their four-game series Sunday at 12 p.m.
Game 1 | ACU 1, Northeastern 0
ACU starter Garrett deMeyere pitched a gem of a ball game, scattering three hits over 8.0 innings with three strikeouts in a 1-0 decision for the Wildcats.
Hunter Markwardt drove in the lone run with two gone in the eighth inning, slicing a single to left field that was inches away from being snagged by shortstop Max Burt.
Pinch runner Gunny Evans scored from third on the hit. He took over for Austin Call at first base, went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Mark Pearson, and to third on a ground ball to short by pinch hitter David Ruot.
deMeyere (2-0) was perfect through 4.0 innings, and after allowing a leadoff single to start the fifth, he retired the next three batters in order. ACU's defense also played a role in preserving the shutout with Markwardt making a sliding catch in the left-center gap with one on in the sixth, and in the seventh, he helped turn an 8-5 double play, gunning Cam Hanley out at third base.
Two of deMeyere's strikeouts came around a double in the eighth, and for the ninth inning, Nick Palacios earned his second save of the spring after retiring the Huskies' No. 2-4 batters on 12 pitches.
Northeastern starter Dustin Hunt was deMeyer's equal for 7.0 innings, striking out eight and surrendering only five hits with no walks. He didn't allow a hit until the fourth inning, where he pitched his way out of a two-on, one-out jam, and after allowing a double to Markwardt in the sixth, he got Aaron Draper to line into a 4-6 double play.
Hunt went the distance for his club on 95 pitches. deMeyere finished with 84 pitched and lowered his season ERA to 0.41.
Game 2 | ACU 4, Northeastern 3
The Huskies spotted their starter James Mulry a 2-0 lead in the second on three hits, but ACU's Aaron Mason was solid the rest of the way to give his team an opportunity to complete the doubleheader sweep.
After a rough second inning, Mason allowed just one hit and two walks from the third to sixth frames and hung around long enough to see the Wildcats score three runs in his favor.
ACU was being two-hit by Mulry going into its half of the sixth, but No. 9 hitter Willie Harris got the rally rolling with an infield single that tangled up the Huskies' third baseman and shortstop. Harris then hustled to second on Aaron Draper's sacrifice bunt and motored to third following a bunt single down the third-base line by Hunter Markwardt.
The small-ball tactics paid off in full as the next batter Braxton Wilks tapped one back up the first-base line, which Mulry wildly threw past the first baseman. Harris and Markwardt both scored on the errant throw and Wilks headed to second.
Wilks took off for third base on an attempted steal and should have been caught with Austin Call at the plate, but the third baseman dropped the ball and Wilks scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch.
ACU continued to get base runners on against Mulry in the seventh and Draper made it a 4-2 game with an RBI double to left vs. reliever Andrew Misiaszek that scored Mark Pearson from second.
Zach Kornely followed Mason to the mound in the seventh with a 1-2-3 inning, and Brandon Lambright survived a towering solo home run from Pat Madigan in the eighth to give Palacios a 4-3 lead starting the ninth.
Palacios' first batter - pinch hitter Charlie McConnell - ripped one back through the senior's legs and went to second on a sacrifice bunt, where he was lifted for pinch runner Cam Walsh. The next batter then grounded a ball to shortstop behind Walsh - who was running for third base - and the Wildcats caught him in a 6-5-4-1 run down for out No. 2.
With a runner at second base, Palacios intentionally walked lefty leadoff man Keith Kelly to get to right-handed hitter David Hopkins. The move worked as Palacios got Hopkins to end the game on a fly ball to center.
Mason struck out five in his six innings of work to improve to 2-0 on the season. Palacios' save was his second of the day and third of the spring.
ACU's No. 9 hitter went 2-for-3 in both games. Markwardt in game one and Harris in the night cap.
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ABILENE - Abilene Christian baseball snapped a two-game losing streak Saturday behind a pair of well-pitched games against Northeastern at Crutcher Scott Field.
Garrett deMeyere and Nick Palacios combined to blank the Huskies, 1-0, in game one, and in game two the Wildcats came back from a 2-0 deficit to win 4-3.
Incredibly, both nine inning games were played in under two hours. Game one lasted one hour and 51 minutes, and game two was clocked at one hour and 59 minutes.
The Wildcats (6-2) and Huskies (3-4) conclude their four-game series Sunday at 12 p.m.
Game 1 | ACU 1, Northeastern 0
ACU starter Garrett deMeyere pitched a gem of a ball game, scattering three hits over 8.0 innings with three strikeouts in a 1-0 decision for the Wildcats.
Hunter Markwardt drove in the lone run with two gone in the eighth inning, slicing a single to left field that was inches away from being snagged by shortstop Max Burt.
Pinch runner Gunny Evans scored from third on the hit. He took over for Austin Call at first base, went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Mark Pearson, and to third on a ground ball to short by pinch hitter David Ruot.
deMeyere (2-0) was perfect through 4.0 innings, and after allowing a leadoff single to start the fifth, he retired the next three batters in order. ACU's defense also played a role in preserving the shutout with Markwardt making a sliding catch in the left-center gap with one on in the sixth, and in the seventh, he helped turn an 8-5 double play, gunning Cam Hanley out at third base.
Two of deMeyere's strikeouts came around a double in the eighth, and for the ninth inning, Nick Palacios earned his second save of the spring after retiring the Huskies' No. 2-4 batters on 12 pitches.
Northeastern starter Dustin Hunt was deMeyer's equal for 7.0 innings, striking out eight and surrendering only five hits with no walks. He didn't allow a hit until the fourth inning, where he pitched his way out of a two-on, one-out jam, and after allowing a double to Markwardt in the sixth, he got Aaron Draper to line into a 4-6 double play.
Hunt went the distance for his club on 95 pitches. deMeyere finished with 84 pitched and lowered his season ERA to 0.41.
Game 2 | ACU 4, Northeastern 3
The Huskies spotted their starter James Mulry a 2-0 lead in the second on three hits, but ACU's Aaron Mason was solid the rest of the way to give his team an opportunity to complete the doubleheader sweep.
After a rough second inning, Mason allowed just one hit and two walks from the third to sixth frames and hung around long enough to see the Wildcats score three runs in his favor.
ACU was being two-hit by Mulry going into its half of the sixth, but No. 9 hitter Willie Harris got the rally rolling with an infield single that tangled up the Huskies' third baseman and shortstop. Harris then hustled to second on Aaron Draper's sacrifice bunt and motored to third following a bunt single down the third-base line by Hunter Markwardt.
The small-ball tactics paid off in full as the next batter Braxton Wilks tapped one back up the first-base line, which Mulry wildly threw past the first baseman. Harris and Markwardt both scored on the errant throw and Wilks headed to second.
Wilks took off for third base on an attempted steal and should have been caught with Austin Call at the plate, but the third baseman dropped the ball and Wilks scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch.
ACU continued to get base runners on against Mulry in the seventh and Draper made it a 4-2 game with an RBI double to left vs. reliever Andrew Misiaszek that scored Mark Pearson from second.
Zach Kornely followed Mason to the mound in the seventh with a 1-2-3 inning, and Brandon Lambright survived a towering solo home run from Pat Madigan in the eighth to give Palacios a 4-3 lead starting the ninth.
Palacios' first batter - pinch hitter Charlie McConnell - ripped one back through the senior's legs and went to second on a sacrifice bunt, where he was lifted for pinch runner Cam Walsh. The next batter then grounded a ball to shortstop behind Walsh - who was running for third base - and the Wildcats caught him in a 6-5-4-1 run down for out No. 2.
With a runner at second base, Palacios intentionally walked lefty leadoff man Keith Kelly to get to right-handed hitter David Hopkins. The move worked as Palacios got Hopkins to end the game on a fly ball to center.
Mason struck out five in his six innings of work to improve to 2-0 on the season. Palacios' save was his second of the day and third of the spring.
ACU's No. 9 hitter went 2-for-3 in both games. Markwardt in game one and Harris in the night cap.
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