ARLINGTON, Texas -
Avery Miloch and
Olivia Taylor each slugged 1.500, and
Talia Nielsen won her second game in as many days, leading Abilene Christian softball to a series win at UT Arlington Saturday at Allan Saxe Field.
The Mavericks downed ACU in a game-one slugfest, 16-7, but the Wildcats popped right off the mat in game two, scoring five times in their first two at-bats en route to a 7-3 triumph that lifted their WAC record to 6-9 — only 4.0 games behind first place Utah Tech with nine left to play.
ACU was close to unstoppable on offense today, hitting .375 with 11 extra-base hits (six doubles, a triple by
Catrin Hoffman, and home runs from Miloch x2, Taylor and
Sydney Kaiser). The Wildcats likely would have garnered a sweep if not for a chaotic fourth inning (G1) in which a rash of errors and general wildness handed the Mavericks 11 runs.
Nielsen helped calm the waters in game two with a confident complete-game, no-walk, 97-pitch performance. She started the game with four scoreless innings, and only allowed three runs despite surrendering 12 hits — two for extra-bases.
The Wildcats return to Poly Wells Field Friday for the start of a three-game series vs. second-place SFA (9-6), their final homestand of the 2023 season. The two sides face off Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at noon (doubleheader).
Game 1: UTA 16, ACU 7 (5 innings)
The Wildcats and Mavericks started Saturday in a classic tug of war.
ACU jumped out to a 3-0 lead courtesy of back-to-back doubles from Taylor and
Sammie Shelander, but the Mavericks raced right back, scoring an unearned run in the second and hitting for the cycle in the third.
Reagan Hukill led off with a double. Morgan Westbrook provided a one-out RBI single, and Meagan Smith clubbed a two-run home run that put UTA ahead, 4-3. Sophie Wideman then tripled down the right-field line, later scoring on a ground ball to shortstop.
Now down a pair at 5-3, the Wildcats countered with a single from
Logan Gaspar and a one-out walk to
Mercedes Eichelberger that forced Mavs' starter Gracie Bumpurs from the game.
UTA chose Jessica Adams for its matchup against Taylor, and as the ESPN+ broadcast was still introducing the Mavs' sophomore righty, the Wildcats' left fielder clubbed the first pitch she saw to straightaway center field - her second home run of the spring.
ACU's 6-5 advantage did not last long as the Mavs took full advantage of the Wildcats' uncharacteristic play while Emma Rote was in the circle. Rote walked the first batter she faced, but should have been done three batters later if not for a dropped ball, wild throw, and fielding gaffe at the hot corner.
So instead of facing four batters that frame, Rote and two relievers battled through 14 Mavericks, including Marley Neises (twice) whose grand slam capped UTA's unfathomable scoring tear.
But even after enduring that nightmare, the Wildcats still scratched out another run in the fifth and had runners on the corners - ready to send the game to the sixth - when the final out was made.
Game 2: ACU 7, UTA 3
The series rubber game began with the Wildcats' ripping four-straight one-out hits as part of a two-run first.
Taylor, who totaled nine bases today, rocketed a double to center and scored two batters later on the first of Miloch's three run-scoring hits. Miloch singled in the first, and went yard off both Adams and Bumpurs in the second and sixth innings, respectively, to finish with a single-game career high five RBI.
The Wildcats would go on to load the bases in the first, and were up 2-0 after Adams walked in Shelander, missing on a 3-1 pitch to
Miranda Lista, who hit .500 this weekend.
An inning later, catcher
Sydney Kaiser led off with her fourth home run of the spring, and Miloch made it a 5-0 game after clearing the wall in right-center with two outs.
Nielsen lost her shutout bid in the fifth with one gone, but escaped further damage by making an outstanding heads-up defensive play. With runners in scoring position, Nielsen fielded Smith's grounder on the third-base side of the circle and tossed the ball to Miloch, who put the tag on Neises as she was scrambling back to the bag. Miloch then threw a strike to
Shaylee Alani, who tagged out Westbrook diving into second base.
Nielsen's Gold Glove resume from today also includes a diving catch off a sacrifice bunt attempt put in play by Westbrook in the third.
After the Mavericks cut their deficit to 5-1, ACU received the insurance runs it needed in the sixth from Miloch, whose team-leading 13th HR of the spring hit the left-field berm with two outs. Shelander kept the inning alive for Miloch's heroics with a hit-by-pitch and was pinch run for by
Isabel Martinez.
Nielsen again minimized the damage in the sixth and seventh innings. She worked her way out of a two-on, one-out jam by getting a strikeout of Alaina Hampton and Hukill to pop up on the infield.
Neises homered to begin the UTA seventh, but Nielsen stranded a runner at second base thanks to a pop up and fly out to the right side.
