ABILENE -- One day after almost having a perfect game thrown at them and scoring just one run in a doubleheader sweep at the hands of West Texas A&M, the ACU Wildcats bounced back in a big way Saturday to earn a split of their four-game Lone Star Conference baseball series with the No. 20 Buffaloes.
Tyler Eager and
Travis Schuetze each drove in three runs and
Chuck Duarte had three hits - including his third home run of the season - as the Wildcats capped the four-game series with a 14-4 win that was stopped after the top of the seventh inning because of the 10-run-rule.
The Wildcats will be back in action next weekend when they return to LSC action with a four-game series against Cameron in Lawton, Okla.
On Friday the Wildcats were swept, losing 2-1 and 8-0 and collecting just five hits in the process, including four in the first game. The Wildcats' only hit in the nightcap was a two-out single by
Michael Cristiani in the seventh inning to break up a no-hit bid. One batter before Cristiani,
Tyler Eager had reached on an error by WTAM shortstop Jordan Easom, breaking up Billy Gonzalez' perfect game bid.
The Buffs picked up where they left off in the first inning Saturday, scoring a pair of runs on four hits in the first inning to take a 2-0 lead against ACU starter
Aaron Lambrix. The second inning was more of the same as the Buffs scored a two-out run with a double and a single to push the lead to 3-0.
But ACU's bats finally woke from their season-long slumber over the next three innings as the Wildcats scored five runs in the second, two more in the third and seven in the fourth to take a 14-3 lead.
Duarte got the Wildcats on the board when he led off the second inning with a solo home run to left to cut the lead to 3-1. Duarte was the first of five straight Wildcats to reach base before the Buffs finally recorded an out.
Kevin Finklea walked after the home run and went to second when
Reed Watson was hit by a pitch. Schuetze then tried to drop down a bunt, but all hands were safe when WT pitcher Irving Camacho failed to field the ball cleanly.
Two runs then scored on a double by
Emmett Niland to make it 3-3. Eager then grounded out to shortstop to score Schuetze to give the Wildcats a 4-3 lead.
Kyle Conwell capped the scoring with a bunt that scored Niland to make it 5-3.
ACU added two more in the third on a two-run single by Schuetze, and then blew the game open with seven runs on six hits in the fourth. The Wildcats sent 12 batters to the plate to secure their biggest inning of the season.
With one out, Conwell,
Duncan Blades, Duarte and Finklea all singled to left with the latter two each driving in a run to push the leda to 7-3. After Watson grounded out to second, Schuetze singled followed by a walk to Niland. Eager then doubled home two runs for the Wildcats.
After giving up the three runs in the first two innings, Lambrix settled in and gave the Wildcats six innings and picked up the win to improve to 3-3. Lambrix scattered 11 hits, four runs (three earned) and only walk, while striking out four batters.
