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TECH BASEBALL EARNS SPLIT WITH NO. 21 OUACHITA BAPTIST
RUSSELLVILLE, Arkansas –
The Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys baseball team earned a
split with No. 21 Ouachita Baptist at Tech Field on
Saturday afternoon. Tech’s record moved to 19-17 and 7-6
in league play, while Ouachita Baptist is now 37-9 and
8-5 in GSC play.
Game 1 – Arkansas
Tech 7, Ouachita Baptist 6
Jonathan Houston
(Conway, Ark.) hit a three-run ninth inning homerun to
tie the game and freshman outfielder Austin Gwatney
(Sherwood, Ark.) blooped a game winning single four
batters later which scored pinch runner Tyler Tate
(Fort Smith, Ark.) who was running for Justin
Bollig (Moore, Okla.) after Bollig had reached on a
center to right center.
Tech trailed 6-3 in going into the game’s
final frame and that’s when the Wonder Boys put together
their four runs on six hits in the bottom of the ninth
to claim the victory.
Senior pitcher Cody Taylor
(Jacksonville, Texas) picked up the win for the Wonder
Boys, improving his record to 3-3 this season. He tossed
two innings and only allowed one Tiger hit in the
contest. Taylor came on in relief for starter Zach
Weiss (Barnhart, Mo.), who had a quality start,
going seven innings giving up eight hits, six runs, five
earned, and striking out five.
Alex Smith, who fell to 3-1, was tagged with
the loss for OBU. He only recorded one out while
allowing three hits and one run. Steve Smith got the
start for OBU and he threw eight and one third innings
giving up 15 Wonder Boy hits and six runs, five of which
were earned, while striking out eight.
OBU held a 5-0 lead before Tech cracked the
scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth inning, when they
struck for three runs. In that inning, Tech used five
hits and one Tiger error to cut the lead to two. Gwatney
scored on a single by shortstop Josh Holloway
(Booneville, Ark.) who finished the game 3 for 5 with a
run and an RBI. Jantzen Black (Greenwood, Ark.)
would later drive in Tech right fielder Hayden Miller
(Sherwood, Ark.) who had reached on a bunt single.
Bollig then recorded an infield base hit, driving in
Holloway.
The Tigers would get one more run in the top
half of the seventh as JoeDan Poulter hit a solo homerun
to left field.
The Tech ninth inning got started with a
Tony Sanchez (Mesquite, Texas) single which was then
followed by a Black double which set the table for the
three-run blast by Houston.
Leading the way offensively for Tech was
Houston who finished the game 2 for 4 with a homerun and
three RBIs. Sanchez, Black, Bollig, Miller and Gwatney
all had a pair of hits in the game, with Gwatney driving
in the game winning run.
Game 2 – Ouachita
Baptist 14, Arkansas Tech 1
The euphoria that Tech felt at the completion of game
one did not necessarily translate into good things in
game two, as the Wonder Boys committed eight errors as a
team and dropped game two to OBU, 14-1.
Chase Baran, who pitched a complete game
three-hitter, picked up the win for the Tigers. Baran’s
record improved to 8-1 on the season. He struck out nine
Wonder Boys batters while walking five and allowing just
one run.
The Wonder Boys went through five pitchers,
none of which were helped by the shaky Tech defense.
Tyler Mattox (Conway, Ark.) was hit with the loss
for the Wonder Boys. Sophomore pitcher Chad Knight
(Fort Smith, Ark.) was a bright spot for Tech has he
pitched one and two thirds innings in relief allowing
just one hit. He was the only Tech pitcher not to
surrender a run to the Tigers in the contest.
Justin Pennell and Drew Wurzelbacher each
homered for OBU in the contest, each were solo shots.
Rudy Jovanovski drove in a pair of runs and had two hits
while shortstop Drew Maus went 3 for 5 with two RBIs of
his own.
These two teams will play the final game of
the three-game series on Sunday with the first pitch
scheduled for 1 p.m. at Tech Field. It will be Senior
Day at the ball park, where Tech will honor the careers
of seven Wonder Boys.
-- Tech Athletics -- |