Home Runs Carry ACU To Sweep Of East Central

ABILENE - Home runs off the bats of Kimberly Briggs, Megan Brigance and Lyndi Smith, combined with complete games from Caitlyn Crain and Peyton Mosley, gave the Abilene Christian softball team a sweep of East Central Friday afternoon at Poly Wells Field.

The Wildcats (5-1) won the first game 4-3, before capturing the night cap, 9-0, in five innings on Briggs' game-ending two-run blast to left. Briggs, whose home run was her first of the year, finished the day a combined 6-for-7 with four runs and five RBI.

The first game was a bit more competitive as ACU had to first battle back from a 2-0 hole before snapping a 3-3 tie in the sixth on Courtney Flanary's pinch-hit RBI double. Flanary came into the game with two on and two outs, and crushed a pitch from Ali Manship toward the left-field line.

Sara Vaughn scored the game-winning run on Flanary's hit, and earlier plated ACU's first run during a three-run fourth.

Vaughn started the rally with a one-out single. Briggs followed with a RBI double, and then Brigance gave the Wildcats their first lead with a round-tripper to center field.

ECU (2-2) came back to tie the score in the sixth on Peyton Watson's two-out RBI single, but would leave her stranded. The Tigers in the seventh put two more aboard vs. Crain only to have Cami Correa fly out to end the game.

Crain (3-0) scattered 10 hits and walked one in allowing three earned runs. ECU scored twice on her in the second on three consecutive two-out singles.

The second game belonged to the Wildcats from start to finish as they scored at least one run in all five innings.

Vaughn scored in the first on another Briggs RBI double. Smith followed with a solo shot in the second - her second home run of the year - and then in the third, she brought home Briggs on a fly ball to center.

ACU exploded for three runs in the fourth, helped by three singles, three stolen bases (two by Keanna Winkfield) a wild pitch, and throwing error. Then, when the game looked certain to continue into the sixth, Vaughn smacked a two-out infield single to shortstop leading up to Briggs' walk-off home run.

Mosley (1-1) surrendered four hits but did not allow a single Tiger base runner beyond second. ECU put two on with two outs in the fourth for its lone threat of the game, but Mosley escaped the jam by getting Watson to ground out.  

Cold weather across the Big Country has already led to the cancellation of two of Saturday's games, and tomorrow's schedule plans to have (weather pending) East Central facing Missouri Southern at 2 p.m. followed by ACU vs. Missouri Southern at 4 p.m. Stay tuned to ACUSports.com and its social media feeds via Facebook and Twitter for further changes.

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Abilene Christian 4, East Central 3 (Feb 10, 2012 at Abilene, TX)
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