STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Tarleton State Baseball fell short at the plate in Game 3 to see the Wildcats take the weekend series.
Tarleton State (10-7, 1-2 WAC) dropped the series finale to Abilene Christian (10-7, 2-1 WAC) 7-3 on Sunday.
Freshman
Braydon Risley (L, 0-2) started on the mound for the Texans with 4.2 innings pitched, giving up five runs on five hits, three walks and one strikeout. Brett Lanman (W, 2-1) took the start for the Wildcats with 5.0 innings on the mound, giving up two runs on two hits, two walks and five strikeouts.
Tarleton State compiled three runs on five hits with doubles from
Trace Morrison and
Ike Shirey. ACU totaled seven runs on 10 hits with one home run and one double.
The first three-and-a half innings were scoreless but the bottom of the fourth saw the home team take the first runs.
Mason Hammonds and
Cole Miears walked to put two Texans on. A sacrifice bunt from
Austin Russell pushed both runners into scoring position and a double to left center from Morrison made way for Tarleton State to tally two for a 2-0 lead.
In the top of the fifth, the Wildcats answered with five runs. A single to center field and a groundout saw the leadoff hitter of the inning in scoring position. Another single to center field tallied the first run of the inning. With one runner on, Holden Rook walked and a single through the right side brought in the tying run. A walk followed by a double down the right field line claimed three runs for Abilene Christian to take the lead at 5-2.
ACU added another pair of runs in the top of the seventh. Garrett Williams walked and a homer from Miller Ladusau brought in a couple of runs for the Wildcats to see the home team down by five.
The Texans battled back in the bottom of the seventh as
Kooper Shook reached on an error, advanced on a balk and then again on a wild pitch. A groundout from
Mason Crews sent Shook home to tally the final run.
The final innings saw no runs, closing out Game 3 with a 7-3 score to secure the series win for the visitors.
Tarleton State Baseball will continue their run at home as the Purple and White host Texas State on Tuesday at 6 p.m.