BASEBALL POUNDS OUT 20 HITS AND SCORES 11 RUNS IN ITS HOME DOUBLEHEADER SWEEP OF ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO

        RUSSELLVILLE, Arkansas – Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys Baseball concluded its 11 game homestand here Tuesday by sweeping a non-conference doubleheader from Arkansas-Monticello at Tech Field.

Tech, who is now 8-3 on the season and has won six straight games, opened the doubleheader with an 8-0 (Box Score) win and then posted a 3-1 (Box Score) victory in the nightcap.

The Wonder Boys used a strong offensive effort that recorded 20 hits, including seven extra-base hits and scored 11 runs and a strong pitching that had 16 strikeouts for the doubleheader, including 10 strikeouts in the first game.

In addition, senior second baseman Jantzen Black (Hackett, Ark.), a Preseason All-GSC West Division selection, recorded four hits in the first game to tie a school and GSC record with 11 hits in 11 consecutive at-bats. The record was set last Friday by junior third baseman Tony Sanchez (Mesquite, Texas) against Northwest Missouri State.

Tech jumped on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning of the first game thanks to back-to-back doubles Black and senior catcher Justin Bollig (Moore, Ark.).

The Wonder Boys pushed its lead to 4-0 in the third inning thanks to an RBI single by Sanchez and an two-run double by Bollig, which scored Black and Sanchez.

Tech’s four runs would be enough for freshman righthander Caleb Powers (Dover, Ark.) pitched six innings and scattered three hits and struck out seven and walked none to earn his first win of the season. Junior Blake Kastl (Fayetteville, Ark.) pitched the seventh inning and struck out the side.   

In the fifth inning, Tech’s lead grew to 7-0 on a RBI single by Bollig and a two-run double by senior first baseman Brad Green (Cabot, Ark.) and then completed the game’s scoring thanks Bollig’s fifth RBI on a single to right field in the sixth inning, which scored junior shortstop Josh Holloway (Booneville, Ark.). Holloway had lead off the inning with a single up the middle off of UAM reliever Ryan Rawls.

For the game, Tech’s offense collected 14 hits, including five doubles as Black and Bollig each went 4-for-4 at the plate, while Sanchez had two hits and scored three runs and Black added three runs scored.

In the nightcap, UAM jumped on the scoreboard first thanks to Matt Gardner’s RBI double in the first inning off of Green, the starting pitcher.

Tech tied the game up in the third inning thanks to a hit batsman, stolen base and a run scoring single by Holloway. In the inning, sophomore leftfielder Hayden Miller (Sherwood, Ark.) was hit by a David Nix pitch and then stole second before scoring on Holloway’s single up the middle.

The Wonder Boys took the lead in the fourth as they took collected two hits and took advantage of a UAM error to score two runs to push in front, 3-1. Black scored the first run after leading off with a double, advancing to third on Bollig’s fly out and then scoring on freshman designated hitter Jonathan Houston’s (Conway, Ark.) sacrifice fly to give the Wonder Boys a 2-1 lead. The lead grew to 3-1 after an RBI double by sophomore catcher Tyler Keller (Morrilton, Ark.), which scored junior rightfielder Barrett Davis (North Little Rock, Ark.), who had reached on an error by UAM first baseman Ben Turner.

Senior Cody Taylor (Jacksonville, Texas), who earned the win and improved to 2-1 on the season, relieved Green in the third inning and pitched 3.2 innings and allowed just one hit and no runs, while walking one and striking out five. Sophomore closer Josh Floriani (Malvern, Ark.) pitched a scoreless seventh to pick up his first save of the season.  

In the nightcap, both teams recorded six hits and each team committed an error, but UAM left seven runners on base and Tech left runners stranded.

          Tech will return to action on Saturday, Feb. 23, when they travel to Livingston, Ala., for a three-game series at West Alabama. The Tigers enter the week ranked 12th in the latest Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Top 30 Poll. The teams will open the series with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. and will conclude with a single nine inning game on Sunday, Feb. 24 at 2 p.m.

-- Tech Athletics --