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Contributed by ACU Athletics Media Communications
ABILENE - Redshirt sophomore Hannah Null pitched out of a bases-loaded jam and Demi McNulty cracked a two-out bases-loaded triple, giving Abilene Christian softball a doubleheader sweep of Lamar Saturday at Poly Wells Field.
ACU won today's games 7-1 and 6-4, and with the series win the Wildcats have now won 9 of their last 11 games in improving to 11-12 overall and 5-1 within the Southland Conference. Lamar, meanwhile, slipped to 15-11 and 3-3 vs. the league after losing both ends of today's twinbill.
Game two started as a back-and-forth affair with Lamar answering Alli Spivey 's first-inning RBI single with a two-run double in the second by Maddy Myers.
Sophomore Brianna Barnhill tied the score at 2-2 with her fourth home run of the year, and broke a tie in the fourth inning, scoring on a infield miscommunication by the Cardinals.
Barnhill led off the frame with an infield single and stopped at third base two batters later after Baylee Travers hit one to center field. However, senior Cara Hoover took too wide a turn around the second base bag and when the Cardinal infielders focused their attention on her, Barnhill hustled home with the go-ahead run.
Null, meanwhile, had quieted the Lamar offense during the middle innings, retiring nine straight between the third and fifth innings, but started to get into some serious trouble with one out in the sixth.
Brittany Rodriguez singled to center and Sable Hankins poked a hit through the left side. ACU thought it recorded the second out on a ground ball to second base, but the umpires reversed their call, saying the throw pulled the first baseman off the bag.
So with one out and the bases loaded of a 3-2 game, Null battled back to strike out No. 5 batter Jenna Holland swinging and got catcher Brynn Baca to pop up to shortstop Peyton Hedrick and end the threat.
In the Wildcats' half of the sixth inning, they loaded the bases with two outs thanks to a single from Neese and walks drawn by Alyson Bishoff and Baylee Travers . McNulty started ahead in the count against Laura Napoli, but soon the count was even at 2-2. Napoli then missed outside and when she came back in McNulty drilled a triple to the left-center gap.
Those insurance runs proved their worth as Null surrendered a two-out, two-run homer to leadoff hitter Kelly Meeussen in the seventh inning after her twin sister, Stephanie, had just tripled to right field.
Null recovered in time to get Rodriguez looking at a called strike three for her fifth strikeout of the afternoon.
ACU won the first game Saturday, 7-1, as freshman Allison Turner and Null combined on a three-hitter with four strikeouts. Turner lasted 5.2 innings and gave up only one run in the sixth inning despite walking six batters along the way. Null earned the save after pitching out of another sixth-inning bases loaded jam followed by a 1-2-3 seventh.
Five of the Wildcats' seven runs were unearned. ACU took a 1-0 lead in the third after the catcher dropped a throw coming in from third base, allowing Taylor Brown to score. ACU then broke the game open with four runs in the fourth inning as Holly Neese dropped in a bases-loaded hit that squirted away from Rodriguez, diving in from right field. Rodriguez' misplay gave Neese a triple.
Barnhill capped the Wildcats' scoring with a two-run double that scored Hedrick and Neese. The Wildcats' right fielder led all hitters today with a .667 batting average, going 4-for-6 with two runs, two extra-base hits and three RBI.
ACU hit .321 as a team Saturday, while the Cardinals hit just .216 vs. Null and Turner.
The Wildcats return to action next weekend, March 25 and 26, for a three-game series at Central Arkansas. ACU's next home game is Wednesday, March 30 vs. Texas Tech at 6 p.m.
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ABILENE - Redshirt sophomore Hannah Null pitched out of a bases-loaded jam and Demi McNulty cracked a two-out bases-loaded triple, giving Abilene Christian softball a doubleheader sweep of Lamar Saturday at Poly Wells Field.
ACU won today's games 7-1 and 6-4, and with the series win the Wildcats have now won 9 of their last 11 games in improving to 11-12 overall and 5-1 within the Southland Conference. Lamar, meanwhile, slipped to 15-11 and 3-3 vs. the league after losing both ends of today's twinbill.
Game two started as a back-and-forth affair with Lamar answering Alli Spivey 's first-inning RBI single with a two-run double in the second by Maddy Myers.
Sophomore Brianna Barnhill tied the score at 2-2 with her fourth home run of the year, and broke a tie in the fourth inning, scoring on a infield miscommunication by the Cardinals.
Barnhill led off the frame with an infield single and stopped at third base two batters later after Baylee Travers hit one to center field. However, senior Cara Hoover took too wide a turn around the second base bag and when the Cardinal infielders focused their attention on her, Barnhill hustled home with the go-ahead run.
Null, meanwhile, had quieted the Lamar offense during the middle innings, retiring nine straight between the third and fifth innings, but started to get into some serious trouble with one out in the sixth.
Brittany Rodriguez singled to center and Sable Hankins poked a hit through the left side. ACU thought it recorded the second out on a ground ball to second base, but the umpires reversed their call, saying the throw pulled the first baseman off the bag.
So with one out and the bases loaded of a 3-2 game, Null battled back to strike out No. 5 batter Jenna Holland swinging and got catcher Brynn Baca to pop up to shortstop Peyton Hedrick and end the threat.
In the Wildcats' half of the sixth inning, they loaded the bases with two outs thanks to a single from Neese and walks drawn by Alyson Bishoff and Baylee Travers . McNulty started ahead in the count against Laura Napoli, but soon the count was even at 2-2. Napoli then missed outside and when she came back in McNulty drilled a triple to the left-center gap.
Those insurance runs proved their worth as Null surrendered a two-out, two-run homer to leadoff hitter Kelly Meeussen in the seventh inning after her twin sister, Stephanie, had just tripled to right field.
Null recovered in time to get Rodriguez looking at a called strike three for her fifth strikeout of the afternoon.
ACU won the first game Saturday, 7-1, as freshman Allison Turner and Null combined on a three-hitter with four strikeouts. Turner lasted 5.2 innings and gave up only one run in the sixth inning despite walking six batters along the way. Null earned the save after pitching out of another sixth-inning bases loaded jam followed by a 1-2-3 seventh.
Five of the Wildcats' seven runs were unearned. ACU took a 1-0 lead in the third after the catcher dropped a throw coming in from third base, allowing Taylor Brown to score. ACU then broke the game open with four runs in the fourth inning as Holly Neese dropped in a bases-loaded hit that squirted away from Rodriguez, diving in from right field. Rodriguez' misplay gave Neese a triple.
Barnhill capped the Wildcats' scoring with a two-run double that scored Hedrick and Neese. The Wildcats' right fielder led all hitters today with a .667 batting average, going 4-for-6 with two runs, two extra-base hits and three RBI.
ACU hit .321 as a team Saturday, while the Cardinals hit just .216 vs. Null and Turner.
The Wildcats return to action next weekend, March 25 and 26, for a three-game series at Central Arkansas. ACU's next home game is Wednesday, March 30 vs. Texas Tech at 6 p.m.
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