ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSITY

ATHLETICS 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 27, 2008
Contact: Aaron Jones (479) 968-0645

TECH BASEBALL COMPLETES SEASON WITH 6-2 WIN OVER HARDING; TUESDAY'S GAME SCHEDULED WITH UALR CANCELLED

        SEARCY, Ark. – The Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys baseball team ended the 2008 season with a 6-2 win over the Harding Bison to improve their record to
22-23 overall and 9-11 in Gulf South Conference play.  

          Tech was originally scheduled to play one more regular season game on Tuesday at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, but that game has been cancelled.

          The Wonder Boys used a complete game two-hitter by junior starting pitcher Tyler Mattox (Conway, Ark.) as he improved to 3-2 on the year. Harding managed two runs against the Tech righty, but both were unearned. Mattox allowed just one walk and hit a batter while striking out three.

          Tech claimed the first run of the game in the opening inning when Jantzen Black (Greenwood, Ark.) reached on a single and freshman Jonathan Houston (Conway, Ark.) also singled which drove in Black after he advanced to second base on a wild pitch by Michael Skinner.

          Tech got three runs in the second as Austin Gwatney (Sherwood, Ark.) drove in Brad Green (Cabot, Ark.) on a single to center. Gwatney then stole second and junior Josh Holloway (Booneville, Ark.) hit his second homerun of the year, making the score 4-0 in favor of Tech.

          Harding got help by three Wonder Boys errors in the bottom of the second to score their first run and then got their second run in the bottom of the third when Will McDonald scored on a passed ball. Harding would just manage two base runners the remainder of the game as Mattox was brilliant in his complete game effort.

          Meanwhile, Tech added an insurance run in the top of the fifth when Houston picked up his second RBI of the game when he singled scoring Tony Sanchez (Mesquite, Texas) who had reached on a walk and then advanced to third on a double by Black.

          The Tech offense struck again in the seventh as Tyler Kellar (Morrillton, Ark.) drove in Black on a bunt single, giving Tech the 6-2 lead.

          Skinner (4-5) was charged with the loss for Harding as he hurled 5 2/3 innings allowing nine Tech hits and five runs, two of which were earned. Tech got another three hits and a run off Harding reliever Kenny Barnett who pitched the final 3 1/3 innings.

          Tech was led offensively by Holloway who was 2 for 5 with a homerun and two RBIs, Black who had a pair of hits and scored twice and Houston who was 3 for 5 with two RBIs. Green also had a pair of hits in the game and Kellar and Gwatney each had an RBI and one hit.

Box Score

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