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Contributed by: Lance Fleming, ACU Associate Director of Athletics for Media Relations
LAKE CHARLES, La. - In this season of growing a young team into a potential Southland Conference championship contender by 2018, the ACU Wildcats have experienced losses via several different heartbreaking varieties.
They found a new one Saturday afternoon as McNeese State catcher Cameron Toole scored on a two-out wild pitch to cap a three-run Cowboys' comeback in a 4-3 win over the Wildcats in the series finale of the three-game set at Cowboy Diamond.
The come-from-behind win for the Cowboys ended their sweep of the Wildcats, who are now 9-14 overall and 2-7 in Southland Conference play. ACU will try to snap its seven-game losing streak Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. when it hosts 29th-ranked Dallas Baptist (15-8) at Crutcher Scott Field.
ACU led Saturday's game 3-1 through the top of the sixth inning and still led 3-2 going to the bottom of the eighth inning when starting pitcher Aaron Mason was replaced by Brandon Lambright to start the inning. After Lambright gave up a leadoff single, he was removed in favor of freshman Joseph Goetze, who got a pair of outs before giving up a walk and then a game-tying RBI single.
Nick Palacios then came in from the ACU bullpen and got the final out of the inning to send the game to the ninth inning tied 3-3. The Wildcats got the go-ahead run on board in the ninth when Braxton Wilks singled to right field with two outs, but Kyle Carroll struck out to end the inning, setting up the dramatics in the bottom of the ninth.
Palacio made fairly quick work of the first two hitters, recording a pair of outs. Then on a 2-0 pitch, Toole tripled to right field to put the game-winning run 90 feet from the plate. It didn't take long for him to get home with the winning run as Palacios uncorked a wild pitch on the first pitch to Jacob Stracner, allowing Toole to score.
The Wildcats collected 10 hits against three McNeese State pitchers - led by two apiece from Wilks and Russell Crippen - but left eight runners on base and struck out 15 times less than 18 hours after striking out 12 times in Friday's 3-0 loss.
Mason received a no-decision in the game, although he was terrific in the Wildcats' loss. He went seven strong innings, allowing just six hits and two runs while walking just one batter and striking out one.
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LAKE CHARLES, La. - In this season of growing a young team into a potential Southland Conference championship contender by 2018, the ACU Wildcats have experienced losses via several different heartbreaking varieties.
They found a new one Saturday afternoon as McNeese State catcher Cameron Toole scored on a two-out wild pitch to cap a three-run Cowboys' comeback in a 4-3 win over the Wildcats in the series finale of the three-game set at Cowboy Diamond.
The come-from-behind win for the Cowboys ended their sweep of the Wildcats, who are now 9-14 overall and 2-7 in Southland Conference play. ACU will try to snap its seven-game losing streak Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. when it hosts 29th-ranked Dallas Baptist (15-8) at Crutcher Scott Field.
ACU led Saturday's game 3-1 through the top of the sixth inning and still led 3-2 going to the bottom of the eighth inning when starting pitcher Aaron Mason was replaced by Brandon Lambright to start the inning. After Lambright gave up a leadoff single, he was removed in favor of freshman Joseph Goetze, who got a pair of outs before giving up a walk and then a game-tying RBI single.
Nick Palacios then came in from the ACU bullpen and got the final out of the inning to send the game to the ninth inning tied 3-3. The Wildcats got the go-ahead run on board in the ninth when Braxton Wilks singled to right field with two outs, but Kyle Carroll struck out to end the inning, setting up the dramatics in the bottom of the ninth.
Palacio made fairly quick work of the first two hitters, recording a pair of outs. Then on a 2-0 pitch, Toole tripled to right field to put the game-winning run 90 feet from the plate. It didn't take long for him to get home with the winning run as Palacios uncorked a wild pitch on the first pitch to Jacob Stracner, allowing Toole to score.
The Wildcats collected 10 hits against three McNeese State pitchers - led by two apiece from Wilks and Russell Crippen - but left eight runners on base and struck out 15 times less than 18 hours after striking out 12 times in Friday's 3-0 loss.
Mason received a no-decision in the game, although he was terrific in the Wildcats' loss. He went seven strong innings, allowing just six hits and two runs while walking just one batter and striking out one.
More...