Roadrunners Open Season with Walk-off Sweep of Galveston

by GARY STALLARD

AC Athletics

What a way to open a new season.

The Roadrunner baseball team hosted Galveston College on Saturday in the season opener for both teams, and the 'Runners cranked the volume knob on the excitement level early.

Leadoff hitter Connor Ficarra's first at-bat in Game 1 was a deep drive to centerfield ending in a spectacular catch from Galveston's centerfielder.

In the bottom of the seventh inning and the score even at 2-2, however, Ficarra made sure no one was going to catch his shot.

Ficarra launched a solo homer over the right-field wall to give the Roadrunners the walk-off win in AC's first game of the year.

The Roadrunners weren't finished.

In Game 2's extra-inning affair, the Whitecaps took a 7-6 lead in the top of the 9^th, only to see AC's Diesel Gonzalez rip a bases-loaded, game-ending single off the wall for yet another walk-off win to celebrate Opening Day.  

In the early win, AC's Ryan Lewis drove in two runs, with Ficarra adding the other. Starting pitcher Ethan Jezierski struck out six hitters in three innings, and David Wilson earned the win in relief with his three-inning, four K performance.

In the nightcap, Ryan Beaty drove in three runs, while Landon Bailey added two more. Gonzalez, Ashton Wagner (3-for-5 at the plate) and Cooper Molnes added an RBI each.

AC's Sam Nitzke got the start, striking out seven 'Caps in four innings. Ashton Martinez followed with two scoreless innings, Josh Munoz tossed an inning of relief and Colby Turner picked up the win after throwing two innings and allowing a single unearned run.

The Roadrunners (2-0) are scheduled to play doubleheader at Wharton College on Thursday, with first pitch set for 1 p.m. AC then will host those same Pioneers in a Sunday doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. at Poland Stadium on the AC campus.

The email address for AC's Sports Information Director is gstallard@angelina.edu.