ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSITY

ATHLETICS 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 26, 2008
Contact: Aaron Jones (479) 968-0645

TECH BASEBALL DROPS SATURDAY DOUBLEHEADER AT HARDING

        SEARCY, Ark. – The Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys dropped Saturday’s baseball doubleheader by the scores of 7-2 and 7-4 to the Harding Bisons in Gulf South Conference action. With the losses, Tech’s record is now 21-23 and 8-11 in GSC play, which eliminates them from qualifying for the conference tournament in Millington, Tenn. Meanwhile, Harding improved to 27-20 and 9-9 in conference play.


Game 1 – Harding 7, Arkansas Tech 2

          Troy Keith pitched a complete game four-hitter to pick up his fourth win of the season for the Bison as Harding defeated Tech 7-2 at Jerry Moore Field in Searcy. Keith allowed just four hits, two runs, one earned, while striking out eight Wonder Boys.

          Zach Weiss (Barnhart, Mo.) lasted five innings and he allowed seven runs, five earned, on eight hits while striking out three and walking none. Weiss’s record fell to 4-6 with the loss.

          The Bison used a double by Wisley Correa and a two-out triple by Will McDonald to strike first in the second inning. Harding went back to work in the third by getting two runs on a single by Correa which scored Bo Whittaker and Zach Fisher.

          Tech got their only runs of the contest in the top of the fourth when Brad Green (Cabot, Ark.) reached on a fielder’s choice which scored Jantzen Black (Greenwood, Ark.). Also, scoring on the play thanks to an error by the Harding second baseman was Jonathan Houston (Conway, Ark.) who found his way around the bases after being hit by a pitch.

          The Bisons used an RBI single by Aaron Roberts and a three-run homerun in the bottom of the fifth by Tyler Thompson to give Harding the 7-2 lead.

          Correa finished the game with three hits and two RBIs while Thompson was 1 for 4 with a homerun and three RBIs.

          Tech’s hits all came at the top of the order as the 5-9 holes went a combined 0-16 at the plate.

Game 2 – Harding 7, Arkansas Tech 4

          Harding used a three run third and a four run fifth to shatter the hopes of any post season play for the Wonder Boys as the Bisons completed the doubleheader sweep.

          Tech led 2-0 after Houston had an RBI single in the top of the first and a sacrifice fly in the third, but Harding got the bats going in the third inning. Ryan Moody started the Harding third off with a single. After he advanced to third on an error by the Tech catcher, he scored on a Fisher ground out. Correa then came up with a two-run single to give Harding a 3-2 lead.

          Tech regained the lead in the fifth as Black had an RBI triple which plated Austin Gwatney (Sherwood, Ark.) and Tony Sanchez (Mesquite, Texas). Black, however, was stranded at third after the one out triple.

          Harding used three hits and a Tech error to get their final four runs in the bottom half of the fifth. Roberts had a two-run double and he later scored on an error by Tech shortstop Robbie Hohler (Searcy, Ark.). Matthew Stevens then drove in a run with an RBI single to center to make the score 7-4.

          Brodie Brumley got the win for Harding and improved his record to 5-1. He allowed four runs on seven Tech hits over 5 2/3 before giving way to D.A. Kremer who pitched the final 1 1/3 innings to earn his first save of the year.

          Cody Taylor (Jacksonville, Texas), who came on in relief of starting pitcher Craig Cameron (Knoxville, Iowa), was saddled with the loss for Tech. His record fell to 3-4 on the year.

          Tech and Harding will play the final game of the three-game series Sunday afternoon with the first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. Tomorrow’s game will round out Tech’s GSC schedule for 2008, and will complete their regular season schedule on Tuesday when they travel to Little Rock to take on the University of Arkansas-Little Rock.

-- Tech Athletics --