WONDER BOYS SNAP THREE-GAME LOSING SKID WITH HOME
NON-CONFERENCE WIN OVER LYON COLLEGE

         RUSSELLVILLE, Arkansas – Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys Baseball stepped out of Gulf South Conference play here Tuesday and snapped its three-game losing skid with a 4-3 win over Lyon College at Tech Field.

With the win, Tech improves to 18-13 overall on the season and improves its home record to 14-6. In addition, the win avenges a 15-9 defeat to the Scots in Russellville earlier this season.

          In the win, Tech’s offense collected 10 hits, including a solo home run from Jantzen Black (Greenwood, Ark.) and used solid pitching from junior Tyler Mattox (Conway, Ark.) and seven relievers to post the victory and snap a two-game losing skid to the Scots. Tech last defeated Lyon on April 18, 2006, in Russellville.

The Wonder Boys jumped on the scoreboard first as it used three singles to plate the game’s first run in the bottom of the second inning. Tech’s run was driven on a single to left field by junior shortstop Robbie Hohler (Searcy, Ark.).

In the third inning, Tech had another scoring chance as junior third baseman Tony Sanchez (Mesquite, Texas) hit a two-out single and Black followed with a double down the left field line, before Lyon starter Matt Creamer forced freshman first baseman Jonathan Houston (Conway, Ark.) to ground out to end the scoring threat. Black’s double extended his school-record hitting streak to 29 straight games.

Tech’s lead grew to 2-0 in the fifth inning on Black’s solo homer. The homer was the third of the season for Black and Tech’s 14th of the season.

Lyon, who fell to 20-12 with the loss, broke up Tech’s bid for a shutout in the sixth on an RBI single by Drew Kellums off of freshman reliever Caleb Powers (Dover, Ark.).

The Wonder Boys extended its lead to 4-1 in the seventh inning thanks to a fielder’s choice and a sacrifice fly off of Lyon reliever Matt Bell.

In the eighth, Lyon pulled within 4-3 thanks to a two-run homer by Sam Neal that just cleared the right field fence. Neal’s homer came off of senior Brad Green (Cabot, Ark.), the sixth of Tech’s seven relievers.

Sophomore Josh Floriani (Malvern, Ark.), the seventh and final Tech reliever, provided some drama in the ninth inning as he walked two of the first three hitters in the inning and then watched the runners advance on a passed ball before forcing Justin Brown to ground out to first base to end the game and seal his second save of the season.

Mattox (2-1) earned the win as he pitched two innings and allowed three hits and no runs, while walking one. Meanwhile, Creamer earned the loss (1-1 on the season) as he tossed six innings and allowed eight hits and two runs, while walking two and striking out one.

Black, Hohler and junior shortstop Josh Holloway (Booneville, Ark.) led Tech’s offense with two hits apiece, while Black scored two runs in the win.

Zac Wallace led Lyon’s offensive attack with three hits, while Kellums had two hits in the loss.

Tech will return to GSC play this weekend when they welcome No. 1 ranked Southern Arkansas for a three-game series. The series will begin with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 2 p.m. and conclude with single game on Sunday at 1 p.m. All three games of the series will be broadcast on the radio by KCAB (980 AM) in the River Valley area and also on the internet at http://athletics.atu.edu.

         Lyon College Box Score

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