ODESSA – A major lineup switch couldn't provide the spark ACU was looking for Wednesday as the unranked and reeling Wildcats dropped their fourth straight game, losing for the first time ever to Texas-Permian Basin, 7-6, at Falcon Field.
The Wildcats are now 10-1 all-time against the Falcons, who scored a run in the bottom of the ninth to topple ACU, which shuffled its lineup in an effort to shake off a three-game losing streak. But the lineup shakeup didn't work Wednesday as the Wildcats dropped their fourth straight to fall to 12-9 on the season.
ACU will be back on the field this weekend with a three-game set at Tarleton State. The Wildcats and Texans will play Friday at 6 p.m. with the series set to conclude with a 3 p.m. doubleheader Saturday.
ACU head coach
Britt Bonneau – whose team is in the midst of its longest losing streak since a five-game losing skid early in the 2008 season and only the program's third losing streak of at least four games since 2004 – moved his all-America centerfielder
Aaron Oliver to shortstop and made a few other changes in an effort to shake his team out of its doldrums.
With Oliver at shortstop,
Cameron Bankston took over in centerfield and dropped from No. 2 in the batting order to No. 4.
Sky Valenzuela was moved to second base with
Bryce Gerhardt moving to left field in place of
Will Calhoun, who was the DH on Wednesday. Bonneau even used his regular starting catcher,
Ian Tomkins, on the mound in the eighth inning in an effort to solve his team's bullpen problems. Tomkins threw a 1-2-3 inning with two fly-ball outs and one groundout.
The Wildcats lost Wednesday's game in the fifth when they gave up yet another big inning that directly resulted in a loss. ACU has given up such an inning in each of its nine losses this season.
This time, the Falcons – who entered the inning trailing 3-2 – scored four runs to take a 6-3 lead.
Travis Schuetze entered the game to start the inning in relief of starting pitcher
Cameron Watten and, after getting the first batter, hit back-to-back hitters before giving up an RBI double by Hugo Hernandez.
Chandler Goode then singled to give the Falcons a 4-3 lead before Ryan Giacomini hit a sacrifice fly to drive in a run and make it 5-3. Jeremy Miller then tripled to drive in the final run of the inning.
The Wildcats got back into the game in the eighth when Bankston walked and then scored on a
J.R. Roland double to make it 6-4. With Roland on third after a groundout,
Duncan Blades grounded out to drive in Roland and make it 6-5.
The Wildcats tied the game in the top of the ninth when Gerhardt singled with one out, stole second with two outs and scored on Bankston's RBI single to center.
But the Falcons were able to get the game-winning run across in the bottom of the ninth when
Zach Sneed entered the game in place of Tomkins. With one out, Travis Wilcox singled before Garrett Wolff reached on an error by
Duncan Blades at third base. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, Brantley Miller hit a ball to shortstop, which Oliver fielded. His throw to the plate, however, was late as Wilcox scored the game-winning run.
