WONDER BOYS POST HOME WIN OVER ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO, SWEEP THREE-GAME WEEKEND SERIES

        RUSSELLVILLE, Arkansas – The Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys Baseball team completed a Gulf South Conference series sweep here Sunday by posting a 10-6 win over Arkansas-Monticello at Tech Field.

          With the win, Tech improves to 15-18 on the season and 4-2 in the GSC, while UAM falls to 6-22-1 and 0-3 in league play. The series sweep is the first of the season for the Wonder Boys in GSC play and moves Tech into third place in the GSC West Division standings.

          In Sunday’s series finale, Tech scored two runs in the first inning and three in the second inning to build an early 5-0 lead.

UAM responded with a run in the third and two in the fourth to narrow the gap to 5-3. An RBI single by senior designated hitter Tony Sanchez (Mesquite, Texas) in Tech’s half of the fourth pushed the Wonder Boys lead to 6-3.

          Tech expanded its lead to 9-3 in the fifth inning on a RBI single by junior third baseman Tyler Taunton (Shreveport, La.), a sacrifice fly by freshman shortstop Tyler Shaw (St. Marys, Ga.) and a RBI single by junior centerfielder Chad Wynn (Bono, Ark.).

          UAM narrowed the lead to 9-6 in the seventh inning on a RBI single by left fielder Blaine Johnson, an RBI double by designated hitter Drew Harper and a RBI single by third baseman Matt Gardner off of senior reliever Barrett Davis (North Little Rock, Ark.). Davis was the third of five Tech pitchers on the afternoon.

          Tech scored the game’s final run in the bottom of the seventh inning on Wynn’s second run-scoring single of the game.

          Wonder Boy starter Caleb Powers (Dover, Ark.) worked five innings to earn the win and improve to 2-1 on the season. Powers allowed just three runs (one earned run) on seven hits, while walking three and striking out six.

          UAM’s Tyler Henry (0-2) got the loss, allowing eight runs, six earned, on eight hits, with three walks and four strikeouts in 4.1 innings of work.

          Senior second baseman Josh Holloway (Booneville, Ark.), Wynn, Sanchez and Taunton each had two hits to lead Tech’s offense. In addition, Sanchez drove in three runs and Wynn and Shaw each had two RBIs in the win.

          Johnson, Harper, Gardner, Wayne Hawkins and Matt Whiting all collected two hits for the Boll Weevils in the losing effort.

          For the game, UAM outhit Tech, 13-12, but UAM left 10 runners on base, while Tech stranded six in the win. Tech also committed three errors to UAM’s two, both of which occurred in the first inning.

          Next up for Tech is a trip to the Sunshine State as the Wonder Boys will head to Pensacola, Fla., for a three-game non-conference series with West Florida. The teams will play a doubleheader on Tuesday, March 24 beginning at 4 p.m. and then complete the series on Wednesday, March 25 with a single game beginning at 6 p.m.

          Arkansas-Monticello Box Score

-- Tech Athletics --