MONTICELLO, Ark. — The Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys baseball team used long home runs early by Cole Fergus and Kris Ayers to build a cushion that would last until the seventh inning, but late hitting by the UAM Boll Weevils was too much for the Wonder Boys to overcome as Tech dropped a 9-4 heartbreaker to the Boll Weevils on Friday at Weevil Field.

Tech started to build its lead in the first inning, as Cole Fergus smashed a two-run homer to right-center that put the Wonder Boys on the board before UAM starter Zach McKnight could register his first out of the contest. An RBI double by Patrick Castleberry in the third stretched the Tech lead to 3-0.

In the fifth, Kris Ayers blasted the first pitch he saw onto the roof of Steelman Fieldhouse, giving the Wonder Boys a 4-0 lead.

Tech would hold its lead until the seventh, when the Boll Weevils got on the board with a two-run homer by C.J. Womack, pulling to within 4-2. The longball started a run of six consecutive hits, allowing UAM to claim a 5-4 lead.

The Boll Weevils added one more run in the seventh to take a 6-4 lead into the eighth.

UAM tacked on three more insurance runs in the eighth to stretch its lead to 9-4, and the Boll Weevils held on for the win.

Cody Jones was stellar through the first six innings of work, allowing just two hits. He gave way to the bullpen with one out in the sixth, and both Bryson Morris and Nate Rutherford were chased without recording an out.

Rutherford suffered the loss, falling to 0-1 on the season after giving up three hits and two runs.

The Wonder Boys and Boll Weevils will conclude their three-game set with a doubleheader Saturday. First pitch is set for noon.