AC baseball improves WJCAC record to 7-1 with road series win over Western Texas College

Amarillo College's record-setting offense stayed sizzling over the weekend in Snyder.

The result – a 3-1 series victory against Western Texas College on the Westerners home turf.

David De Hoyos etched his name in the AC record book as the first player in team history to hit for the cycle in conference play during the Badgers 18-7 series-clinching game four victory.

De Hoyos had five hits in the contest, including two singles, a double, a triple, and a home run.

"It shows his diversity as a hitter. Not only he can hit for average, but he can hit for power as well," AC head coach Brandon Rains said. "One of David's strengths is he can backspin the baseball to all fields on a consistent basis. He's been one of our key hitters for the past two years."

AC accumulated 63 hits, 14 doubles, 10 triples, five homers, and 54 runs during its second conference series of the season.

The Badgers have now scored a conference-best 122 runs in eight WJCAC games.

"Our batters have a tremendous approach to hitting. You accompany that with physical ability, good things traditionally happen," Rains noted.

The Badgers claimed wins in a pair of shootouts to start the four-game set on Saturday.  AC earned a 13-10 game one victory in extra innings.

Heading into the eighth inning tied at 8-8, Brandon Dickinson hit an inside-the-park home run, giving the Badgers a 10-8 lead. The homer was the second of the game for the sophomore from Little Elm, Texas.

A De Hoyos triple, Payton Bush single, and Zyon Hamilton double ended the top half of the frame with the score at 13-8.

Freshman pitcher Ja'Marcus Smith ended the bottom of the eighth inning with a strikeout – one of five for the Lubbock native. Smith picked up his second win in as many outings after throwing the final 3 1/3 innings.

Logan Tibbett started his seventh contest of the season to begin the series and tied a career-high strikeout total (8) during 4 2/3 innings of work.

"Tibbett really kicked into high gear and found his groove after the first few innings. Then we turned it over to Ja'Marucs, who has been lights out all year. He took the momentum and was able to hold the line so to speak."

In game two on Saturday, a nine-run fifth frame propelled the Badgers to a 15-11 victory.

Freshman Joel Gonzales had a career day at the plate in his fifth game as a Badger. The Weatherford High School product launched a three-run homer a significant distance above the left field fence during the fifth inning to break a 6-6 tie.

Gonzales ended the contest with a team-high three hits and four RBIs.

Two at-bats after Gonzales' moon shot, Jacob Sullens went yard to give AC an 11-6 advantage.

Roy Moon was credited with his second win of the season on the mound. Moon, who was Gonzales' teammate in high school, struck out two batters, walked one, and allowed five earned runs.

Noah Turner got his second consecutive game two start and tied a career-high strikeout total (6) in 3 2/3 innings. His six strikeouts and one walk on Saturday was a season-best K-to-BB rate for the sophomore.

The Westerners downed the Badgers in game three 9-8 during the series' second extra inning affair.

AC trailed 8-5 entering the sixth inning before plating one run in the sixth frame and two in the seventh to force the game into extras.

A single, a double, and a wild pitch plated the Westerners' game-winning run.

The Badgers closed the series with a season-best 24 hits. The total included six doubles, four triples, and De Hoyos' two-run homer.

Brooks Carter had a team-high two doubles. Diego Gonzalez, Prado, Gonzales, and De Hoyos finished the run-rule victory with one triple apiece.

Bret Deegan improved his team-best win total to four on the season. Deegan was placed on the hill in the second inning and record three strikeouts while allowing one earned run in 2 1/3 innings.

Zack Mullen tallied two strikeouts and no walks to start the game.

Colton Klemke had his most productive outing of the season during the final two frames of game four. The Lubbock native struck out four batters while allowing no walks and one earned run.

Amarillo College's conference record moved to 7-1 with the series victory over WTC.

Up next is a home series against El Paso Community College on Friday and Saturday, March 21-22. The homestand for the Badgers will be held at West Texas A&M University's Wilder Park.

Doubleheaders on both days are scheduled to begin at noon.