HOUSTON - HBU junior righthander
Kyle Gruller struck out 13 and the Huskies used a four-run first inning to cruise to an 8-1 win over Abilene Christian in the Southland Conference series finale Saturday afternoon at Husky Field.
Gruller (1-3) earned the win, throwing 127 pitches, allowing one run on four hits with three walks in eight innings. There was an hour-long rain delay heading into the top of the fourth, but Gruller came back after the stoppage and didn't miss a beat. Senior righthander
JT Newton tossed a scoreless ninth, striking out two.
Junior rightfielder
Brandon Bena went 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs and a run to extend his hitting streak to 15 games for the Huskies (12-23, 5-10 SLC). Junior shortstop
Nathan Soriano went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases, an RBI and two runs, while junior third baseman
Cal Clark went 2-for-3 with a triple and scored a run. Senior catcher
Erik Voller and junior leftfielder
Ryne Edmondson each went 2-for-4.
Jonathan Nicholson (3-4) took the loss for the Wildcats (18-17, 6-9), giving up five runs on six hits with a strikeout and a walk in 1.1 innings. After the delay, Hunter Spaeth worked four innings in relief, allowing one run on two hits with two strikeouts and a walk.
Colton Eager went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and Luis Trevino had an RBI double for ACU.
Soriano led off the bottom of the first with a single, stole second and scored on a single by junior second baseman
Trent Franson. Junior first baseman
Johnny Gonzales waked, then Bena blasted a monster shot to center for his second homer of the season and a 4-0 Huskies lead.
Clark led off the second with a triple and scored on a groundout by junior centerfielder
Chase Talbot.
The Wildcats got on the board in the third when Dalon Farkas walked, then Trevino followed with an RBI double down the rightfield line.
The Huskies answered in the bottom half when Voller doubled and Edmondson delivered an RBI single for a 6-1 lead before the rain delay.
Soriano scored on an RBI groundout by Gonzales in the fourth, then Soriano ripped an RBI single to rightcenter in the eighth to cap the scoring.l
The Huskies being a five-game road swing against Texas State at 6 p.m. in San Marcos, Texas.
