Wildcats Edge Southern Arkansas, 4-3, On Mejia's Game-Winning RBI

ABILENE - Junior Luke Mejia's eighth-inning bloop single scored the game-winning run in Abilene Christian's 4-3 victory over Southern Arkansas Friday afternoon at Crutcher Scott Field.

The win was ACU's sixth straight, raising its record to 7-2, while the Muleriders fell to 4-3.

After Southern Arkansas tied the game with three runs between the seventh and eighth, substitute outfielder Ryan Luckie opened the decisive inning with a double off the right fielder's glove near the warning track. Two batters later, Mejia came up and dropped a hit inshallow left-center field between three defenders. Without hesitation, Luckie bolted off second base and slid into home plate without a throw.

Junior Josh Stone (1-0) returned to the mound in the ninth and struck out the first two batters he faced before allowing an infield single to leadoff man Trey Buck. No. 2 batter Gavan McCauley, however, skied one to center where it was caught by Tyler Eager for the final out.

Junior Aaron Lambrix started for the Wildcats and allowed just one hit through the first six innings before being touched for two runs on three hits and a walk in the seventh. Lambrix started the inning with a 3-0 lead, but quickly allowed four of the first five batters to reach base before head coach Britt Bonneau called Jordan Herrera in from the bullpen.

Herrera got McCauley to fly out to right, but the ball was deep enough to bring home Jody Spain from third base, which cut ACU's lead to 3-2.

Southern Arkansas tied the game in the eighth off relievers Austin Palmer and Stone. Cleanup hitter David Allday led off with a routine single to left but raced to second after seeing the ball was mishandled by Luckie. Then one out later, pinch hitter Kyle Fillier smoked a double to left-center gap off Stone, but was thrown out trying to stretch for third.

ACU scored its first three runs all in the fifth off Southern Arkansas starter Doug Shields, who began the day with a 1-0 record and 0.00 ERA.

After getting Eager to ground out to start the fifth, Shields allowed three straight singles, the last of which by Rodge Macy drove in Travis Schuetze from third. Mike Keegan then made it a 3-0 game after delivering a two-out, two-run shot to right that plated both Conwell and Macy.

The Wildcats and Muleriders resume their series Saturday at 1 p.m. with a 7 and 9-inning doubleheader.

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Abilene Christian 4, Southern Arkansas 3 (Feb 17, 2012 at Abilene, TX)
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