Doubleheader Split Gives Wildcats Series Win Over Muleriders

ABILENE - The Abilene Christian baseball team had its seven-game win streak come to an end Sunday at Crutcher Scott Field as Southern Arkansas salvaged the final game of their three-game series, 6-5, in 10 innings. The Wildcats, however, crushed Mulerider pitching in game one, winning 11-9 in seven innings.

The doubleheader split gave ACU (8-3) its second series win of the year, following a 2-2 series tie with Arkansas Tech and four-game sweep of Colorado Christian. Southern Arkansas' record stands at 5-4.

The Wildcats held leads of 2-0 and 5-1 early in game two, but the Muleriders mounted a steady comeback with single runs scored in all but four of the 10 innings.

Catcher Ryan Dardenne went 4 for 5 from the No. 8 spot and scored the game-tying and go-ahead runs in the eighth and 10th. He led off the eighth with one of his three doubles and scored three batters later on a fielder's choice that nearly resulted in an inning-ending double play.

In the 10th, facing ACU closer Ricky Stone (1-1), Dardenne again nailed a two-bagger into left center. He then advanced to third on a bunt and came home on Trey Buck's fly ball to center. Wildcat outfielder Tyler Eager made a strong throw on the play, but the ball slightly tailed up the first-base line and catcher Emmett Niland couldn't reach Dardenne with the tag in time.

ACU threatened in its half of the 10th, putting two on with two outs against Southern Arkansas closer Justin Thomas, but Eager,  trying to advance on a wild pitch, was thrown out at third to end the game.

Thomas' performance resulted in his first save of the year and gave the win to a very deserving James Baune (1-0).

The Wildcats hit Baune well in the first, scoring two runs on two hits, including an RBI double by Kyle Conwell. But Baune was later victimized in the third by a pair of errors committed by his second baseman Jody Spain.

Spain's first error allowed ACU to place runners at first and second with no outs, and his second loaded the bases for Duncan Blades, who capitalized with a RBI single to left. Chuck Duarte brought Conwell home on a fly to right, and Ryan Luckie made it a 5-1 game with a sacrifice hit.

Blades' hit was the last surrendered by Baune as he retired the final 21 Wildcats he faced. Baune finished his 9.0 innings of work with 122 pitches, 81 of which were strikes.

Baune's offense, meanwhile, took advantage of the walks issued by starter Clint Cooper and reliever Brent Bray.

Jason Dahl, who walked with one out in the fourth, made it a 5-2 game after scoring from second on an RBI single to left by Ryan Bell. The Muleriders then trimmed ACU's lead to 5-3 in the sixth after Jody Spain's leadoff walk was followed by Dardenne's double to the left-center gap.

Southern Arkansas inched another run closer again in the seventh after Nick Fountain singled home Trevor Rogers, who was pinch running for leadoff walk recipient Rafael Thomas.

The Wildcats battled back from a pair of deficits in the first game thanks to 11 runs generated between the second and fifth innings. Down 7-5 in the fourth, Blades gave ACU the lead for good with a bases-loaded double to right field off Devin Avery (0-1) that plated Eager, Conwell, and Macy.

ACU tacked on three more insurance runs in the fifth as Macy followed Conwell's hit with a two-run single to right. Macy and Conwell were responsible for most of ACU's 11 runs as they combined for six runs and four RBI.

Stone retired the side in order to secure his second save of the season, as well as the win for middle reliever Jordan Herrera (2-1). Herrera struck out four in 1.2 innings of work.
 
The Wildcats return to action at home next weekend for a four-game series vs. East Central.

###

Abilene Christian 11, Southern Arkansas 9 (Feb 19, 2012 at Abilene, TX) (Game 1)
----------------------------------------------------------------------