Wildcats Win Sixth Straight, Beat Missouri Southern 8-3

ABILENE - Megan Brigance and Lyndi Smith each drove in two runs, Shelby Hall pitched a complete game, and the Abilene Christian softball team came away with an 8-3 victory over Missouri Southern Saturday afternoon at Poly Wells Field to finish its homestand at 3-0.

The Wildcats were scheduled to play a few more home games this weekend as part of the ACU/Whitten Inn Classic, but frigid temperatures across the Big Country led to the cancellation of three contests today plus Sunday's doubleheader with Central Oklahoma.

The cold climate combined with a steady 20-mile per hour gust out of the northeast could not however cool off the Wildcats' bats as they scored seven runs through the first four innings before tacking on an insurance run in the sixth.

ACU held a 1-0 lead entering the third where they scored three runs on three hits. Madison Buckley led off the inning with a bunt single and scored easily when Keanna Winkfield tripled to the gap in left center. Winkfield came around on Sara Vaughn's fly ball to shallow left, and then two batters later, Smith drove in Courtney Flanary on a rocket shot through the third-baseman's legs.

Smith added two more hits and a RBI in the sixth to finish the game 3-for-4.

The Wildcats again generated three runs in the fourth with Brigance providing the big shot - a two-run ground-rule double that bounced over the wall in center field and put ACU up 7-1.

Pitcher Shelby Hall retired the first 10 batters she faced and was helped immensely by a defense led by shortstop Vaughn, who was credited with 11 assists. Vaughn made stops on two balls each in the first and second, and to start the fourth she scooped up a ball that was first deflected by Hall. She then helped make the final two outs of the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

Hall (2-0) allowed all three runs in between the fourth and fifth innings. The Lions scored their first run on an infield single to the left side, and then put their first four runners on base in the fifth. Brianna Fulkerson made it a 7-2 game with her RBI double down the left-field line, then Alysha Poteat trimmed ACU's lead to four with a RBI ground out.

Missouri Southern used three starters beginning with Kayce Moore, who surrendered four runs in 2.2 innings. Hannah Cooked was blitzed for three runs in her lone inning of work, and Haley Pypes was charged with one run through the final 2.1 frames.

The Wildcats return to action next weekend at the Midwestern State Classic where they'll again face Missouri Southern in addition to Fort Hayes State, A&M-International, and Arkansas Tech.

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Abilene Christian 8, Missouri Southern 3 (Feb 11, 2012 at Abilene, TX)
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