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Contributed by Lance Fleming, ACU Associate Director of Athletics for Media Relations
MIDLAND - For much of Wednesday night's non-conference contest against No. 14 Texas Tech, it looked like the ACU Wildcats might finally pick up a signature win over one of the top teams in college baseball.
Then the Wildcats' late-inning woes re-surfaced, allowing the Red Raiders to wiggle off the hook in a 5-4 win over ACU in a neutral-site game at Security Bank Ballpark.
Wednesday's loss marked the fifth time in the last two seasons that the Wildcats have lost a one-run game to either Texas Tech (three times), TCU (once) or Texas A&M (once).
This one might have hurt the most, though, because the Wildcats had a 3-1 lead in the middle innings before giving up a pair in the fifth inning as the Red Raiders got the game tied, 3-3.
Zach Kornely came into the game to start the bottom of the eighth and immediately ran into trouble when he gave up a double to Hunter Hargrove. He moved to third when ACU leftfielder Derek Scott had trouble fielding the ball cleanly, giving the Red Raiders the go-ahead run just 90 feet from home plate. After a ground out, Tyler Floyd singled through the left side to drive in Hargrove with the go-ahead run.
Kornely was able to get out of the inning without any other runs scoring for the Red Raiders, sending the game to the top of the ninth with ACU trailing 4-3.
With one out, Kyle Carroll singled and went to second on a Willie Harris groundout. With pinch-runner Chris Altimont on second, Aaron Draper sent a hard ground ball to second base where Michael Davis smothered it and came up throwing. His throw, however, pulled Eric Guiterrez off the bag at first, and while the Red Raiders argued that Draper was out, Altimont scampered home to tie the game at 4-4.
Brandon Lambright came out of the Wildcats' bullpen to start the bottom of the ninth and immediately ran into trouble when he walked Zach Davis to lead off the frame and then balked him to third. After allowing a single to Tyler Neslony to put runners at the corners, Lambright was lifted in favor of Drew Hanson.
Hanson was asked to intentionally walk Gutierrez, which he did to load the bases. That brought Hargrove to the plate, and he parked the first pitch he saw from Hanson up against the fence in left field for a long RBI single that plated Davis with the game-winning run.
The Wildcats (13-25) are back to Southland Conference action this weekend when they host Stephen F. Austin in a three-game set at Crutcher Scott Field. The Wildcats and Lumberjacks will open the series Friday at 6 p.m., followed by a 2 p.m. game Saturday and a 1p.m. series-finale Sunday.
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