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TECH BASEBALL PICKS UP NON-CONFERENCE WIN OVER OZARKS
RUSSELLVILLE, Arkansas –
The Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys baseball team finalized
the home portion of their 2008 schedule with a 9-7 win
over the University of the Ozarks Eagles, who are ranked
14th nationally in NCAA Division III, at Tech Field
Wednesday evening. With the loss, the Eagles fell to
28-9 on the year.
Tech used the late inning push, yet again, to
pick up the victory. Tech trailed 6-2 heading into the
bottom of the seventh before plating three and four in
the seventh and eighth innings respectively. With the
victory, Tech is now 21-17 on the season.
Josh Floriani (Malvern, Ark.) was
Tech’s seventh pitcher of the evening, and he was
credited with the win. Floriani’s record now stands at
3-2 this season. Cody Taylor (Jacksonville,
Texas) continues to throw the ball well, as he picked up
his third save, going one scoreless inning while
striking out one hitter.
DJ Braswell got the start for Ozarks and held
the Wonder Boys bats in check, for the most part.
Braswell went five and two thirds allowing just three
hits and two runs. He gave way to Robby Finnell who was
guilty of walking three Tech hitters, allowing two hits
and five runs. John Scheuring was actually credited with
the loss for the Eagles. His record fell to 0-2 on the
year. Scheuring allowed two runs on two hits in two
thirds of an inning pitched.
Ozarks jumped all over Tech starter Tyler
Mattox (Conway, Ark.) in the first inning as two
walks to the first two hitters paved the way for a
three-run homerun by Eagle shortstop Cory Briggs, making
the score 3-0. Tech would answer in the bottom half of
the first when Tony Sanchez (Mesquite, Texas) and
Jantzen Black (Greenwood, Ark.) pulled of a
successful double steal of second base and home. Tech
got their second run of the inning on an RBI double by
freshman Jonathan Houston (Conway, Ark.) which
scored Black.
Ozarks would then score a run apiece in each
of the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth innings before
the Wonder Boys offense came to life. The Wonder Boys
got their three runs in the bottom of the seventh on a
three-run blast off the bat of Sanchez which scored
Austin Gwatney (Sherwood, Ark.), who reached on a
leadoff walk, and Josh Holloway (Booneville,
Ark.), who had reached on a fielder’s choice. The
homerun for Sanchez was his fourth of the year and it
capped a 2 for 5 and three RBI performance for the Tech
third baseman.
In the bottom of the eighth, Tech senior first
baseman Brad Green (Cabot, Ark.) belted his
second homerun of the year to left field, which tied the
game at 7-7. Tech wasn’t finished there, however.
Gwatney then started things off again with a walk, and
then stole second and third base. Freshman outfielder
Tyler Tate (Fort Smith, Ark.) then drove in the go
ahead run with a bunt single. Tate then stole his 21st
base of the season and Holloway calmly roped a single
through the right side which scored Tate from second to
make the score 9-7.
Tech jumps back into Gulf South Conference
action this weekend when they travel to Cleveland, Miss.
to take on Delta State in a three-game series that will
begin with a double header on Saturday at 3 p.m. The two
teams will wrap up play from Boo Ferris Field on Sunday
with one nine inning game scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.
BOX SCORE
-- Tech Athletics -- |