HOUSTON – HBU senior centerfielder
Zane Otten went 4-for-6, scored three runs and beat out an infield single in the bottom of the ninth for a game-winning RBI as the Huskies slipped past Abilene Christian, 8-7, in the Southland Conference series opener Thursday at Husky Field.
After ACU tied the game with a pair of runs in the top of the ninth, senior third baseman
Austin Zillweger led off with a single to right, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by senior catcher
Blake Thomas and went to third on a groundout by junior second baseman
Jack Fitzgerald. With two outs, Otten hit a chopper in the hole at shortstop and beat the throw to first by a step as Zillweger crossed home with the decisive run.
Junior shortstop
Tyler Depreta-Johnson went 3-for-4, extending his hitting streak to 10 games, and drove in three runs for the Huskies (15-15, 7-6 SLC). Zillweger went 2-for-4 and drove in two runs, senior rightfielder
Brandon Brintz went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run and junior first baseman
Jake Pulcheon went 2-for-3 with two walks, an RBI and scored twice.
Sophomore righthander
JT Newton (3-0) picked up the win in relief, allowing two runs, one earned, on two hits with a strikeout and a walk in 2.1 innings. Senior righthander
Addison Russ gave up five runs, only two earned, on 12 hits with seven strikeouts and a walk in 6.2 innings.
Luis Trevino went 4-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs, while Aaron Draper went 2-for-4 and also drove in two for ACU (9-21, 1-15). Anthony Dominguez went 2-for-5 and drove in two, while Mark Pearson went 2-for-4 and recorded the game's only extra-base hit with a double. Cole Solomon and Russell Crippen each scored twice for the Wildcats.
Zach Kornely (0-1) took the loss, allowing three runs on four hits with a strikeout and two walks in 2.0 innings. Starter Nick Skeffington allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits with two walks in 2.1 innings, while Jonah Smith allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits in 4.0 innings.
ACU got on the board first on Trevino's two-run single in the top of the third, but HBU answered with three runs in the bottom half. Otten led off with an infield single, then junior leftfielder
Spencer Halloran reached on an error and Pulcheon walked to load the bases. Depreta-Johnson delivered an RBI single to tie the game. After junior designated hitter
Matt Heck singled to reload the bases, Zillweger was hit by a pitch to give the Huskies a 3-2 lead.
The Huskies added a run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Brintz and another in the fifth on a Zillweger RBI single to go up, 5-2.
In the seventh, Dalon Farkas led off with a single and Cole Solomon reached on an error on a sacrifice bunt. Crippen was hit by a pitch to load the bases, the Dominguez followed with a two-run single up the middle. Draper added an RBI single to tie the game, 5-5.
Otten and Brintz singled back-to-back with one out in the eighth, then Halloran was intentionally walked to load the bases. Pulcheon laid down a squeeze bunt for a single that gave the Huskies the lead, then Depreta-Johnson blooped a pitch to right for an RBI, but Pulcheon was forced out at second, so the Huskies took a 7-5 lead to the ninth.
Trevino led off the ninth for ACU with a single and Crippen was hit by a pitch. Dominguez hit a chopper between third and short to reach on an infield single and a throwing error on the play allowed Trevino to score and put runners on the corners. Aaron Draper laid down a sacrifice bunt to plate the tying run, but reached on an error. A wild pitch moved Draper to second and pinch runner Chas Pedersen to third, still with no outs. With the Huskies' infield drawn in, Pearson grounded out to short, Newton struck out David Ruot, then Bradley Lewis popped out to second to end the inning.
The series continues with a 2 p.m. start Friday, followed by a 1 p.m. first pitch in Saturday's finale.
