KINGSVILLE -- The 10th-ranked ACU Wildcats left 12 runners on base Sunday afternoon and Texas A&M-Kingsville rallied for four runs in the seventh inning to knock off the Wildcats, 4-1, in a Lone Star Conference baseball game at Nolan Ryan Field.
The loss snaps ACU's winning streak at four games and drops them to 10-2 overall and 6-2 in the LSC. Kingsville, meanwhile, improves to 7-5 overall and 3-5 in the league.
ACU's scheduled doubleheader Tuesday at St. Edward's has already been cancelled because of the threat of inclement weather in the Central Texas area. The games will be made up at a date yet to be determined.
The Wildcats jumped on top with a run in the third inning on a sacrifice fly ty
Chris Hall, but the Wildcats ended the inning with runners at first and third. That was just the beginning of a trend that would see the Wildcats leave runners on base in each of the final seven innings of the game.
After the third, ACU left runners at first and second in the fourth, at second in the fifth, at first in the sixth, left them loaded in the seventh, at second and third in the eighth and at second in the ninth.
While the Javelinas committed six errors in the game, the Wildcats committed only one, but it led to four unearned runs.
With the Wildcats leading 1-0 in the bottom of the seventh, ACU pitcher Will Calhoun retired the first two batters of the inning on a strikeout and a groundout. But Jerry Rodriguez reached on an error by Hall at second to keep the inning alive.
After a walk and a double steal by Rodriguez and Trent Wagner, Cash Barker put the Javelinas ahead with a two-run single to right field. An infield hit and a walk quickly loaded the bases again and this time Travis Earles drove in two runs with a single.
Kingsville pitcher Dan Rogers went seven innings, allowing just five hits and one run while striking out six Wildcats. Taylor Taska pitched the final two innings to pick up his third save of the season.
Calhoun pitched well, giving up just four hits and two unearned runs in 6 2/3 innings of work while striking out four Javelinas.
