ABILENE, Texas – The Tarleton Texan baseball team fell behind early and never recovered as they fell to Abilene Christian 18-2 in seven innings at Crutcher Scott Field on Sunday.
 
The Texans dropped the series finale but still took the series. It is their second straight WAC series win after sweeping UTRGV the previous weekend.
 
The Wildcats (12-11, 5-4 WAC) struck in the first inning as they plated seven runs on four hits. Tarleton (9-13, 5-4 WAC) starting pitcher Bryce Hackett (1-4) was credited with the loss. He walked three batters and plunked another in the first to keep the inning alive for the Wildcats.
 
Tarleton responded in the second inning by loading the bases with Kemuel Thomas-Rivera singling to left field, and the freshmen pair of Trace Morrison and Jaime Perez walking. They scratched one run across as Bryan Aguilar was hit by a pitch to score Thomas-Rivera. That was all they could muster in the inning.
 
Thomas-Rivera and London Green led Tarleton offensively with two hits apiece. Thomas-Rivera finished the weekend hitting .600 with six hits on 10 at-bats.
 
ACU went on to post back-to-back four-run innings in the third and fourth to put the game out of reach. Tarleton freshman Aiden Adams entered the game with two outs and two runners on in the third in relief of Hackett.
 
Adams pitched 1.1 innings allowing five runs on four hits. Fellow freshman Kyler Mentzel threw 2.0 innings allowing three runs on four hits, striking out three.
 
The Texans second and final run came in the top of the fourth when Perez grounded out to shortstop to score Colby Seltzer to make it an 11-2 Wildcat lead.
 
Tarleton returns to action at the Tarleton Baseball Complex on Tuesday, March 29, at 6:30 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed on WAC Digital Network. Tickets can be purchased here.