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Contributed by ACU Athletics
ABILENE - Wildcat softball completed a three-game sweep of Southeastern Louisiana for the second-consecutive season Saturday after producing a memorable 10-run sixth inning that led to a 12-5 triumph over the Lady Lions at Poly Wells Field.
ACU's victory puts them above .500 at 13-12 (3-0 Southland) for only the second time all season, while the Lady Lions fell to 9-14 overall and 0-3 within the Southland Conference.
The Wildcats led early in the game, 2-1, but a grand slam to Mahalia Gibson in the fifth combined with some struggles at the plate against reliever Tanner Wright, made it seem like Southeastern may salvage the final game of their series.
But everyone's fortunes changed, however, during a topsy-turvy sixth inning. And even though coming back from a three-run deficit wasn't impossible, the way the Wildcats did it certainly was improbable as the bottom half of the order worked four-consecutive walks with two outs.
The inning started well for ACU. Braegan Hamilton dropped a single into right field and Peyton Hedrick was hit by a Wright pitch to give the Wildcats runners at first and second with no outs. But the air slowly began to trickle out of the Wildcats' balloon as the next two batters failed to get the ball out of the infield.
Then began ACU's parade around the basepaths, which doubled as an exercise in plate discipline. Casey-May Huff drew the first walk, batting back from a 1-2 count, and Singleton followed with a nine-pitch at bat after starting in an 0-2 hole vs. Wright, who was replaced in the circle by Friday starter Rachel Hayes. Singleton's pass brought home Hamilton.
Hayes tossed 132 pitches yesterday and walked both Blair Clayton and pinch hitter Baylee Travers on 12 pitches today, which tied the score at 5-5.
After Hayes got pulled the Wildcats' offense went to work against Ali McCoy, who allowed three straight hits - the last of which was a three-run home run down the left-field line by Hedrick. Taylor Brown also beat out an infield single to first base, and Hamilton dropped in her second base hit of the inning to shallow center field, scoring both Clayton and Alli Spivey.
ACU capped its big inning with a solo home run by Brianna Barnhill, which was her fourth of the season. She led the team this weekend with a .444 batting average, which included a double and two home runs.
Hedrick currently leads the team with eight round-trippers and 24 RBI.
The offensive outburst made a winner once again of freshman Sidney Holman (8-3), who tossed 30 pitches over the final 2.1 innings. She entered the game in place of starter Hannah Null following the Gibson grand slam. Holman allowed an infield single to begin her turn in the fifth inning but came back to retire six of the next seven batters she faced.
Holman went 2-0 vs. the Lady Lions this weekend with a 1.24 ERA and 10 strikeouts, while Null went 1-0 with 8 Ks and a .121 opponents batting average. Southeastern hit just .153 for the series and the Wildcats batted .310.
ACU continues conference play next weekend with a three-game series at Northwestern State. The Wildcats and Lady Demons are facing one another for the first time during the Southland season since ACU joined the league in 2014.
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ABILENE - Wildcat softball completed a three-game sweep of Southeastern Louisiana for the second-consecutive season Saturday after producing a memorable 10-run sixth inning that led to a 12-5 triumph over the Lady Lions at Poly Wells Field.
ACU's victory puts them above .500 at 13-12 (3-0 Southland) for only the second time all season, while the Lady Lions fell to 9-14 overall and 0-3 within the Southland Conference.
The Wildcats led early in the game, 2-1, but a grand slam to Mahalia Gibson in the fifth combined with some struggles at the plate against reliever Tanner Wright, made it seem like Southeastern may salvage the final game of their series.
But everyone's fortunes changed, however, during a topsy-turvy sixth inning. And even though coming back from a three-run deficit wasn't impossible, the way the Wildcats did it certainly was improbable as the bottom half of the order worked four-consecutive walks with two outs.
The inning started well for ACU. Braegan Hamilton dropped a single into right field and Peyton Hedrick was hit by a Wright pitch to give the Wildcats runners at first and second with no outs. But the air slowly began to trickle out of the Wildcats' balloon as the next two batters failed to get the ball out of the infield.
Then began ACU's parade around the basepaths, which doubled as an exercise in plate discipline. Casey-May Huff drew the first walk, batting back from a 1-2 count, and Singleton followed with a nine-pitch at bat after starting in an 0-2 hole vs. Wright, who was replaced in the circle by Friday starter Rachel Hayes. Singleton's pass brought home Hamilton.
Hayes tossed 132 pitches yesterday and walked both Blair Clayton and pinch hitter Baylee Travers on 12 pitches today, which tied the score at 5-5.
After Hayes got pulled the Wildcats' offense went to work against Ali McCoy, who allowed three straight hits - the last of which was a three-run home run down the left-field line by Hedrick. Taylor Brown also beat out an infield single to first base, and Hamilton dropped in her second base hit of the inning to shallow center field, scoring both Clayton and Alli Spivey.
ACU capped its big inning with a solo home run by Brianna Barnhill, which was her fourth of the season. She led the team this weekend with a .444 batting average, which included a double and two home runs.
Hedrick currently leads the team with eight round-trippers and 24 RBI.
The offensive outburst made a winner once again of freshman Sidney Holman (8-3), who tossed 30 pitches over the final 2.1 innings. She entered the game in place of starter Hannah Null following the Gibson grand slam. Holman allowed an infield single to begin her turn in the fifth inning but came back to retire six of the next seven batters she faced.
Holman went 2-0 vs. the Lady Lions this weekend with a 1.24 ERA and 10 strikeouts, while Null went 1-0 with 8 Ks and a .121 opponents batting average. Southeastern hit just .153 for the series and the Wildcats batted .310.
ACU continues conference play next weekend with a three-game series at Northwestern State. The Wildcats and Lady Demons are facing one another for the first time during the Southland season since ACU joined the league in 2014.
More...