ABILENE -- The 17th-ranked ACU Wildcats opened play in the revamped CBS Insurance Classic with a pair of losses Thursday night at Wells Field.
The Wildcats (3-4) lost 5-3 to Cameron Thursday afternoon before dropping an 8-1 decision to undefeated St. Mary's (11-0) later Thursday evening. The Wildcats will play Emporia State at 6 p.m. Friday before playing two games Saturday and one Sunday afternoon.
In the late game Thursday against St. Mary's, the Wildcats scored a run in the bottom of the first when
Shawna Barrow scored on a throwing error by St. Mary's shortstop Richelle Morales.
ACU freshman pitcher
Shelby Hall held the Rattlers at bay through four innings, holding St. Mary's scoreless through the first four frames.
But the Rattlers broke through with a run in the fifth to tie it at 1-1 before scoring three times in the sixth -- and on a three-run pinch-hit home run by Chelsea Wenske -- and four more times in the seventh to put the game away.
In the first game, the Aggies of Cameron rode a pair of home runs in the third inning -- a three-run blast by Drew Wright followed immediately by a solo shot by Leslie Martini -- to a 4-0 lead and they never trailed in picking up the 5-3 win over the Wildcats.
Jacque Gregoire got the start in the circle for the Wildcats and pitched two scoreless innings before leaving because of an illness.
Kim White came on in relief, but gave up six hits and five runs in four innings to take the loss.
ACU got back into the game in the fourth inning when
Jenny Kulp scored on an RBI single by
Caitlin Nabors, and then CAndice Miller and pinch-runner
Genevie Ramirez scored on a two-run single by
Melissa Mendoza.
But the Wildcats couldnt' plate another run and Cameron tacked on an insurance run in the sixth to take the victory.
