- Box Score
STEPHENVILLE – The Tarleton baseball team fell to the reigning Lone Star Conference champions Abilene Christian Friday night by a score of 8-5.
The Wildcats struck in the first inning with an RBI single, before loading the bases. Tarleton starter Ryan Salt was able to get out of the inning though without any further damage, picking up all three outs in the first via strikeout.
The Texans answered in the bottom of the second when leftfielder Ethan Stuckly drove in shortstop Travis Hayes on a fielder's choice and third baseman Junnior Dishmey stroked an RBI single to center, making it 2-1 in Tarleton's favor.
Both teams settled in for a scoreless third, but ACU would exploit a couple of walks in the fourth, setting up for a grand slam to put the Wildcats back on top 5-2.
Again neither team was able to produce a run in the fifth, which was as far as Salt would go in the game. He finished with five runs on five hits in five innings, while striking out six batters.
Tarleton got back in the board in the bottom of the sixth after second baseman Landon McCall was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to drive in rightfielder Chris Casazza for the Texans' third run. This kept the bases loaded with just one out as Tarleton threatened ACU's lead.
Stuckly followed that up with a sacrifice fly to deep right that allowed Hayes to score, making it a one-run contest.
The Texans managed to tie the game in the same inning when Tarleton's career-record holder for hit by pitches Mark Jeffery, drew another one that plated Rainey for the tying run. Unfortunately, the Texans would not be able to take a lead in the inning after leaving two stranded on a close call at first base.
The Wildcats looked poised to make a run in the top of the seventh, but a diving catch by Casazza in right stopped any momentum shift in ACU's favor.
After hanging tough with the Wildcat hitters all game, Tarleton eventually had a slip up in the top of the eighth when a wild pitch gave ACU a 6-5 lead. That led to a downward spiral as the Wildcats loaded the bases then produced two more runs with a two-out RBI single to left by the designated hitter Will Calhoun, who just happened to be the starting pitcher for ACU as well.
Tarleton found themselves down three with just two at-bats remaining in the game. They got a hit by Stuckly in the bottom of the eighth, but were unable to turn it into anything, leaving just one at-bat left to eclipse a three-run deficit.
The Texans came up just short though as they dropped the first game of the three-game series to the Wildcats, 8-5.
Closer Ryan Turner (3-2) suffered the loss for Tarleton, after giving up three late runs.
ACU's Zach Sneed (3-1) earned the win for the Wildcats with three shutout innings.
Stuckly led the offense with two RBI's, while Dishmey, Jeffery and McCall contributed the other RBI's. Tarleton out-hit the Wildcats 12-11 with five different batters recording multi-hit games.
Head coach Bryan Conger talked about both teams' performances after the game.
“Hats off to ACU,” said Conger. “They deserved to win tonight. They were able to take advantage of their opportunities and we did not. That is what the game boiled down to. We had chances and we didn't get it done. We still have a chance to win the series if we are willing to grind it out one pitch at a time.”
The Texans get two more chances at the Wildcats with the doubleheader Saturday starting at 4 p.m. at the Cecil Ballow baseball complex.
