THE LEAD
The DBU Baseball team dropped a 3-2 affair to Abilene Christian on Tuesday night, as the Wildcats won in walk-off fashion at Crutcher Scott Field.  Tied at two apiece in the bottom of the ninth, a squeeze bunt from Aaron Draper with runners on first and third plated the game-winning run, as the Patriots fell for the third time in their last four games.
 
On a night in which the winds gusted in from right field at 25 miles per hour, DBU (15-9) jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the third inning.  With runners on the corners, David Martinelli came in to score on a throwing error by Nate Cole on a failed pickoff attempt at first base.  The Patriots held the one-run lead into the bottom of the fifth before the Wildcats struck for two runs off of DBU starter Jordan Martinson. 
 
The Patriots' freshman left-hander was perfect through the first three-and-two-third innings, before surrendering a hit with two outs in the fourth.  Martinson would find himself in a jam in the fifth after hitting the leadoff batter.  Following a single and sacrifice bunt that put two runners in scoring position, the tying run came into score on a ground ball to second that resulted in an error by Connor Hall.  One batter later, Hunter Markwardt hit a chopper over the mound and Martinson's throw home was just late as Alex Copeland came in to score the go-ahead run.
 
ACU starter Nate Cole would hold the one-run lead for the Wildcats, as he kept the Patriots scoreless over the next two innings.  Cole was lifted before the start of the eighth inning and exited with a career-high 10 strikeouts.
 
Down 2-1 going to the top of the ninth, DBU rallied to load the bases with nobody out.  With Daniel Sweet at the plate, Zach Kornely hit Sweet with a pitch, allowing the tying run to score.  With the bases still full, David Martinelli laced a line drive up the middle, but it was snared at short by Mark Pearson and his shovel to second base beat Tim Millard back to the bag for the double play.  Kornely would then strike out Justin Wall to get out of the inning with the game tied at two. 
 
A pinch-hit single by Alex Check off of DBU's Gavin Fritz opened the bottom of the ninth for ACU.  With Willie Harris in to pinch-run for Check, Alex Copeland laid down a sacrifice bunt that pushed the winning run to second base.  After a wild pitch put Harris at third, Mark Pearson hit a chopper up the third base line that was snared by Millard, forcing Harris to hold at third, but put runners on the corners.
 
With one out and runners at first and third, Aaron Draper laid a safety squeeze bunt softly up the first base line where Fritz could not find the handle on the ball and the game-winning run came in to score.
 
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- DBU is now 2-2 in one-run games this year.
- David Martinellii and Tim Millard each had three hits in the game.
- The win for ACU snaps a seven-game losing streak for the Wildcats.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
1 – DBU was just 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position.
2 – Dalton Higgins fired two scoreless innings in relief.
8 – Jameson Hannah extended his hitting streak to eight straight games.
 
UP NEXT
DBU returns home to Horner Ballpark to face Lipscomb in a three-game series starting on Friday night.  First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.