ABILENE --
Aaron Oliver and Willie Uechi had two hits and drove in two runs Tuesday afternoon as the ninth-ranked ACU Wildcats knocked off Texas-Permian Basin, 8-3, in non-conference baseball action at Crutcher Scott Field.
The win pushes the Wildcats to 10-0 all-time against the Falcons, who are 0-9 at Crutcher Scott Field. ACU is now 41-10 on the season, while the Falcons are 31-17. ACU will close out the regular season this weekend when it hosts Tarleton State in a four-game set at Scott Field. Friday's doubleheader is set for a 3:05 p.m. start with Saturday's doubleheader also set for a 3:05 p.m. start.
The Wildcats need one win or one Southeastern Oklahoma State loss at East Central to clinch the Lone Star Conference regular-season title and the No. 1 seed in the LSC Baseball Championship Tournament, which will be played May 1-4 at Crutcher Scott Field.
Oliver got the Wildcats started early against the Falcons, hammering an 0-2 fastball from Matt Ortiz over the wall in center field for a leadoff home run to give ACU a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
The Wildcats began to put the game away in the third when Oliver, Uechi and Will Calhoun opened the inning with consecutive doubles. Uechi's double and Calhoun's double drove in runs, and Calhoun then scored on a single to right by Bret Bochsler to make it 4-0. Uechi make it a 5-1 game in the fourth when his single drove in
Steve Camillucci.
The Wildcats put the game away in the fifth with three runs, pushing their lead to 8-2.
Clint Bowker got it started with a one-out triple and later scored on a wild pitch.
Travis Latz walked and went to second when
Ian Tomkins reached on an error. Camillucci then singled to drive in Latz before Oliver delivered a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to right to drive in Tomkins to make it 8-2.
That was more than enough offense for a quartet of ACU pitchers, who scattered nine hits and two walks over nine innings.
Brad Rutherford got the start and gave up two hits in three innings before giving way to
Chay Lytle, who pitched 1 2/3 innings, giving up the Falcons' only two runs.
Jordan Hartley (3-1) got the win with 1 1/3 innings of relief before giving way to
Josh Crockett, who pitched three scoreless innings to pick up his first save.
