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Box Score 2 OKLAHOMA CITY —
Keenan Jumper drove in five runs in the nightcap, helping fuel an offensive onslaught by the Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys baseball team and salvaging a doubleheader split, winning a 15-5 finale after dropping a 6-1 decision to Oklahoma Christian in the opener.
In the opener, OC chased Wonder Boys starter Geoffrey Birkemeier after one and two-thirds innings, and jumping out to a 5-0 lead after two. The Eagles tacked on a run in the fourth to stretch their lead to 6-0.
Tech avoided the shutout in the opener when in the sixth inning, an infield single by
Patrick Castleberry brought home
Rafiel Johnson, cutting the margin to 6-1. However, the Wonder Boys managed only three hits in the opener and were unable to muster any further offense.
That all changed in the nightcap, as Jumper put the Wonder Boys on the board in the top of the first inning, smashing a two-run double to right. The Tech lead would last until the third inning, when OC knotted the game on a pair of RBI singles. The Eagles claimed the lead in the fourth on a solo homer by Cody Rosecrans.
Oklahoma Christian's lead would be short-lived, however, as the Wonder Boys knotted the game in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by
Kris Ayers, and then used an RBI double by Castleberry, an RBI single by Jumper, and a two-run single by Johnson to take a 7-3 lead in the top of the fifth.
The sixth inning saw more of the same for Arkansas Tech, as another RBI double by Castleberry opened scoring in the inning, and after RBI grounders by Jumper and
John Lassiter, Johnson tacked on another RBI single and
Seth Wheeler smashed a two-run single to push the Wonder Boys' lead to 13-3.
The Eagles added a pair in the bottom of the seventh, cutting the Tech lead to 13-5, but Tech got the runs back in the top of the seventh on an RBI grounder by Jumper and an RBI single by
Collin O'Neil.
Cody Jones picked up the win in relief in the nightcap, fanning two in one inning of work.
Trent Armstrong and
Ryan Vruggink threw scoreless innings in relief.
Arkansas Tech will return to action this weekend, traveling to Monticello, Arkansas this Friday and Saturday for a three-game set with UAM. Friday's single game will begin at 2 p.m., while Saturday's doubleheader is slated for a noon start.
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