ABILENE, Texas (Interstat) — The Abilene Christian Wildcats capitalized on a seventh-inning error to break open a tight game and cruised to a 7-1 victory over the Saint Thomas Tommies in the season opener for both teams Friday afternoon at Kimbrell Arena.

The Tommies, playing their first game as a Division I program, held a 1-0 lead into the fifth inning and were tied 1-1 until the sixth. A pivotal defensive miscue by Saint Thomas in the seventh, however, opened the door for a six-run outburst by the Wildcats across the seventh and eighth innings to secure the win.

Saint Thomas starter Nolan Phillips and reliever Sam Stockman largely kept the Abilene Christian bats in check early. The Tommies scratched across the game’s first run in the third inning when Max Puder singled, stole second, advanced to third on a flyout and scored on an RBI single by Tanner Recchio.

Wildcats starter Brett Lanman settled in after that, and Abilene Christian tied the game in the fifth. Sam Hardcastle was hit by a pitch, Ryan Jones was also hit by a pitch, and Garrett Payne delivered a two-out single through the left side to plate Hardcastle.

The game turned in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs, Miller Arias doubled to left center and scored on a sharp RBI single by Brady Gray to give Abilene Christian a 2-1 lead.

The Wildcats broke it open an inning later. With Sam Stockman on the mound for Saint Thomas, Diego Cardenas singled and was replaced by pinch-runner Brady Ladusau. After a fielder’s choice, pinch-hitter Maddox Miesse singled and Maddox Regala walked to load the bases. Nolan Phillips entered in relief and walked Payne to force in a run. After a strikeout, leadoff hitter Zandt Watkins reached on a fielding error by Tommies shortstop Max Puder, allowing pinch-runner JT Thompson to score an unearned run. That error extended the inning and stretched the Wildcats’ lead to 4-1.

Abilene Christian put the game out of reach in the eighth, sending nine men to the plate. With the bases loaded, Regala drew a walk to force in a run. Payne then grounded out up the middle, but two more runs scored on the play, capping the scoring at 7-1.

The most important sequence of the game occurred in the bottom of the seventh inning. With the Wildcats clinging to a 2-1 lead, they loaded the bases with one out. A strikeout brought them to the brink of squandering the opportunity, but Watkins’ routine ground ball to shortstop was misplayed by Puder. The error allowed a run to score, kept the inning alive, and fundamentally changed the game. Instead of escaping the jam with a narrow lead, the Tommies handed Abilene Christian an extra out, which led to a three-run inning that transformed a tense one-run contest into a comfortable 4-1 advantage. That cushion allowed the Wildcats to relax and pile on in the eighth.

Payne led the Wildcats’ offense, going 1-for-3 with a walk and three RBIs. Gray drove in the go-ahead run with his sixth-inning single. Thompson, who entered as a pinch-runner, scored two runs, including the critical unearned run in the seventh.

For Saint Thomas, Recchio had the team’s lone RBI. The Tommies managed just four hits off three Abilene Christian pitchers. Lanman earned the win, allowing one run on three hits over five innings.

With the victory, Abilene Christian begins the season 1-0. Saint Thomas starts its 2026 campaign 0-1. The two teams are scheduled to conclude their series Sunday.