RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas Tech used a five-run sixth inning in game one and seven runs in the first two innings of the second game to win two win-or-go-home contests over Harding on Saturday and move on to the second weekend of the Great American Conference Championships.
 
NEXT UP

• Arkansas Tech continues play in the Great American Conference Championships next weekend in Arkadelphia. The Wonder Boys begin play on Thursday, May 11, at 4:30 p.m. against Arkansas-Monticello at Clyde Berry Field.

 
ARKANSAS TECH LINEUP (GAME 1)

1. Marcus Wilson (RF)
2. Dylan McDearmon (SS)
3. Cody Wescott (1B)
4. Zach Klockowski (DH)
5. Mark Vaughn (LF)
6. Kyle Gibbs (3B)
7. Korey Thompson (2B)
8. Jake Harvey (C)
9. Seth Wheeler (CF)

       Trent Armstrong (P)
 
HARDING LINEUP (GAME 1)

1. Ben Brauss (CF)
2. Grant Guest (2B)
3. Luke VanDover (SS)
4. Chris Taylor (DH)
5. Zach Beasley (1B)
6. Miles Humphreys (LF)
7. J. Paul Fullerton (C)
8. Jack Thomas (RF)
9. Tyler Mohr (3B)

       Jackson Ward (P)
 
SCORING PLAYS

• HU 3^rd - B. Brauss homered to right field, RBI (0-0). (HU 1, Tech 0)
• HU 3^rd - C. Taylor homered to left center, 2 RBI (0-1 F); G. Guest scored. (HU 3, Tech 0)
• HU 4^th - J. Fullerton homered down the rf line, RBI (0-0). (HU 4, Tech 0)
• Tech 4^th - Klockowski homered to right field, RBI (0-0). (HU 4, Tech 1)
• Tech 4^th - J. Harvey singled to right field, RBI (2-1 KBB); K. Gibbs scored. (HU 4, Tech 2)
• Tech 6^th - K. Thompson doubled down the rf line, RBI (0-2 FK); K. Gibbs advanced to third; M. Vaughn scored. (HU 4, Tech 3)
• Tech 6^th - S. Wheeler hit by pitch, RBI (0-0); J. Harvey advanced to second; K. Thompson advanced to third; K. Gibbs scored. (HU 4, Tech 4)
• Tech 6^th - S. Wheeler advanced to second on a wild pitch; J. Harvey advanced to third on a wild pitch; K. Thompson scored on a wild pitch. (Tech 5, HU 4)
• Tech 6^th - M. Wilson grounded out to ss, RBI (2-2 BKKB); S. Wheeler advanced to third; J. Harvey scored. (Tech 6, HU 4)
• Tech 6^th - S. Wheeler scored on a wild pitch. (Tech 7, HU 4)
• Tech 7^th - K. Thompson singled up the middle, RBI (3-2 BBBKFF); K. Gibbs advanced to second; M. Vaughn scored. (Tech 8, HU 4)

 
OF RECORD

• Winning Pitcher – Isaac Hale (4-5)
• Losing Pitcher – Raiff Beever (1-1)

 
NOTABLES

• Arkansas Tech fell behind early, surrendering three runs in the third and one in the fourth. Klockowski's team-leading 13^th home run of the year, however, sparked a two-run fourth inning that cut Tech's deficit to two.
• The Wonder Boys' offense came alive in the sixth inning, scoring five runs to take a 7-4 lead with three innings to play. Tech recorded just two hits in the half-inning, one of which being an RBI-double by Thompson.
• Thompson finished the game with two hits and a team-high two runs batted in. Klockowski and Wheeler batted in one run each.
• Hale earned his fourth win of the season after holding the Bisons scoreless over the final 5.2 innings of play. Hale allowed just two hits, and he struck out six batters.

 
ARKANSAS TECH LINEUP (GAME 2)

1. Marcus Wilson (RF)
2. Dylan McDearmon (SS)
3. Cody Wescott (1B)
4. Zach Klockowski (DH)
5. Mark Vaughn (LF)
6. Kyle Gibbs (3B)
7. Korey Thompson (2B)
8. Jake Harvey (C)
9. Seth Wheeler (CF)

       Geoffrey Birkemeier (P)
 
HARDING LINEUP (GAME 2)

1. Ben Brauss (CF)
2. Grant Guest (2B)
3. Luke VanDover (SS)
4. Chris Taylor (DH)
5. Zach Beasley (1B)
6. Miles Humphreys (LF)
7. J. Paul Fullerton (C)
8. Jack Thomas (RF)
9. Tyler Mohr (3B)

       Logan McCall (P)
 
SCORING PLAYS

• Tech 1^st - D. McDearmon homered to left center, 2 RBI (2-0 BB); M. Wilson scored. (Tech 2, HU 0)
• Tech 1^st - Klockowski homered to right field, RBI (2-2 BBKF). (Tech 3, HU 0)
• Tech 2^nd - S. Wheeler scored on a wild pitch. (Tech 4, HU 0)
• Tech 2^nd - C. Wescott reached on a fielder's choice to third base (2-2 BFFB); D. McDearmon advanced to second on a throwing error by 3b, advanced to third; M. Wilson scored on the error, unearned. (Tech 5, HU 0)
• Tech 2^nd - Klockowski struck out swinging (2-2 BKBFS); C. Wescott stole second, advanced to third on a throwing error by ss; D. McDearmon stole home, unearned. (Tech 6, HU 0)
• Tech 2^nd - K. Gibbs singled to center field, RBI (0-1 F); M. Vaughn advanced to second; C. Wescott scored, unearned. (Tech 7, HU 0)
• HU 3^rd - C. Taylor homered to left field, 4 RBI (0-1 K); L. VanDover scored; G. Guest scored; J. Thomas scored. (Tech 7, HU 4)
• HU 6^th - M. Humphreys hit by pitch, RBI (0-0); Z. Beasley advanced to second; C. Taylor advanced to third; L. VanDover scored. (Tech 7, HU 5)
• HU 6^th - M. Humphreys advanced to second on a wild pitch; Z. Beasley advanced to third on a wild pitch; C. Taylor scored on a wild pitch. (Tech 7, HU 6)
• Tech 6^th - K. Gibbs doubled down the lf line, 2 RBI (0-1 S); M. Vaughn advanced to third; C. Wescott scored; D. McDearmon scored. (Tech 9, HU 6)

 
OF RECORD

• Winning Pitcher – Geoffrey Birkemeier (6-5)
• Losing Pitcher – Logan McCall (2-4)

 
NOTABLES

• The Wonder Boys struck first with two home runs in the first inning to take a 3-0 lead. McDearmon hit his eighth homer of the season after a triple by Wilson led off the bottom of the inning. Klockowski followed two batters later with his 14^th homer and his sixth in the last six games.
• Harding pulled within one run after scoring two in the sixth inning, but Tech answered with two runs to extend its lead to 9-6.
• Gibbs added an insurance run in the eighth with his third home run of the season.
• Birkemeier started on the mound for the Wonder Boys but was relieved after five innings by Quentin Bowling. Branden Bohuslav replaced Bowling for one-third of an inning, and Wescott added 2.2 scoreless innings. Jesse Harbin sealed the victory with a scoreless ninth inning.