HOUSTON – HBU junior lefthander
Matthew McCollough hurled his third complete game of the season to command the Huskies to a 4-2 victory over Abilene Christian to even up the Southland Conference baseball series Friday afternoon at Husky Field.
McCollough (6-1) threw 116 pitches and allowed two runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and a walk for the Huskies (16-13, 7-4 SLC).
Senior centerfielder
Zach Nehrir went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a run, while junior designated hitter
Austin Saenz went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored for HBU. Senior catcher
Samm Wiggins was 2-for-4 with an RBI, and junior first baseman
Andrew Alvarez doubled, drove in a run and scored one.
Kyle Carroll and Alex Copeland each went 2-for-3 for the Wildcats (7-20, 5-6), while Russell Crippen Brayden Gomez each drove in a run.
Aaron Mason (0-5) took the loss for ACU, giving up four runs on nine hits with a walk in five and two-thirds innings.
The Huskies got on the board early as Nehrir led off the bottom of the first with a single, then scored on a two-out RBI single by Wiggins. HBU added two more in the second when junior leftfielder
Brandon Morones was hit by a pitch, then Alvarez followed with a double off the wall in straight-away center. Nehrir then delivered an RBI single to leftcenter to put the Huskies ahead, 3-0.
ACU got both of its runs in the fourth when Carroll led off with a single to right, then Heath Beasley singled with one out. Carroll was retired on a force out at third on a bunt by Marcelle Carter, but Crippen and Gomez came through with back-to-back RBI single to cut HBU's lead to one.
HBU picked up an insurance run in the sixth when Saenz led off with a double, went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Morones and scored on a bunt by senior rightfielder
Thomas Clay.
The series concludes with a 1 p.m. first pitch Saturday at Husky Field. The live video broadcast is available on HBUHuskies.com, beginning at 12:45 with the pregame show.
