ARKADELPHIA, Ark. — Kris Ayers went 4-for-4 in the opener with a pair of RBIs, but the Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys baseball team (4-7, 0-3 Great American Conference) was unable to overcome timely hitting by Ouachita Baptist (6-4, 3-0) in a doubleheader sweep by the Tigers, falling 10-8 and 4-1 on Saturday at Rab Rodgers Field.  

The Tigers did the lion's share of work in the first two innings, putting eight runs across in the first two innings and sending Tech starter Zach Skelton to an early exit. The Wonder Boys' bullpen would combine to do some heavy lifting while the offense came around, as Trent Armstrong and Nate Rutherford combined for 4.2 scoreless innings, allowing five hits between the two of them.

Tech pushed its first run of the game across in the top of the third inning, as Collin O'Neil hit a single up the middle to score Marcus Wilson and pull the Wonder Boys to within 8-1. The Wonder Boys pushed two more across in the fifth as Marcus Wilson scored on an error, and Patrick Castleberry drove in another run with a triple to narrow the deficit to 8-3.

A pair of solo homers in the sixth by Ayers and Wilson cut the gap to 8-5, and another solo homer by Castleberry in the top of the seventh made it an 8-6 contest.

However, OBU's Tyler Faught hit a solo homer in the bottom of the seventh to give the Tigers an insurance run, and an error in the eighth gave OBU a 10-6 lead.

The Wonder Boys would battle back in the ninth, using a sacrifice fly by Ayers and an RBI single by Mark Vaughn to pull to within 10-8. Tech put the tying run into scoring position but could not score it, as OBU held on for the win.

Ayers' four hits led all players, while Castleberry, Wilson, and Bryan Heward added a pair of hits apiece in the loss.

In the nightcap, Castleberry put the Wonder Boys on the board in the first inning with a two-out homer, but it would be one of only two hits that the Wonder Boys would manage against OBU hurler John Franklin Matros (2-0) in the contest, as after a Connor Brady double in the top of the third inning, Tech managed just three baserunners the rest of the way.

OBU pulled ahead on a two-run double by Matt Sinclair in the fourth and tacked on another pair in the fifth on a two-run single by Reuben Miller.

Aaron Johnson (0-1) took the loss for the Wonder Boys, scattering four hits over four innings and allowing four runs, three earned, fanning three. Ryan Vruggink came in and tossed two innings of scoreless relief, allowing one hit.

The Wonder Boys will return to action on Friday, Feb. 20, opening a three-game Great American Conference series against Henderson State. First pitch from Tech Field is set for 7 p.m.