RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. — Getting a 10-run inning, two shutdown performances from starting pitchers, an error-free defense and a clutch stop from a closer, the Arkansas Tech baseball team got a little bit of help from all over its roster to grab a pair of wins and finish off a four-game sweep of Central Region foe Augustana with wins of 17-0 and 4-3 Sunday afternoon at Tech Field.

The Wonder Boys (10-9) stretched its winning streak to six games with Sunday's sweep, moving back to the positive side of .500 with the help of starting pitchers Geofferey Birkemeier and Aaron Johnson, who made it three straight efforts of at least six innings and two or fewer runs from Tech starters.

"It feels good," coach Dave Dawson said. "We felt coming in to this weekend there were a few small things we wanted to focus on to get us back on track. We had a good game Tuesday night against Southwest Baptist [a 14-11 victory], and I think that helped get some confidence up. Then the start yesterday by Trent Armstrong [a complete-game victory] was big. That got the pitchers' confidence up, which we were lacking a little bit, and we played great defense today, no errors today. It feels really good. Hopefully we get back on track from here on out."

Birkemeier was nearly untouchable in the opener, going the distance in the run-rule shortened seven-inning game, allowing just four hits and a hit by pitch while walking none and striking out three. Two of those baserunners were eliminated, and another cut down trying to steal by catcher Keenan Jumper, allowing Birkemeier to face just two over the minimum and let just one runner to advance past first base.

Tech gave its starter a quick lead, as Patrick Castleberry singled home Mark Vaughn, who led off with a single, to make it 1-0 in the bottom of the first. The real action didn't start until the next frame though, as the Wonder Boys sent 16 batters to the plate in the second. Jumper started things off with a walk, and Collin O'Neil sacrificed him over to second before Rafiel Johnson struck out for the second out of the inning. From there, the next 12 batters reached base, as Vaughn was hit by a pitch and Marcus Wilson drew a walk to load the bases. Kris Ayers then started off a string of seven straight hits, knocking in a pair of runs. Castleberry, Bryan Heward and Caleb McKinnon followed with RBI singles, Jumper singled to right in his second plate appearance of the inning, and O'Neil knocked another in with a sixth straight single.

Johnson redeemed himself with a big double to deep right center to plate two more and make it 10-0, followed by Vaughn and Wilson working free passes to load the bases one more time, allowing Ayers to collect his second hit and third RBI of the inning, ending the frame with 10 Tech runs on eight hits.

Despite the long layoff, Birkemeier breezed through a hitless inning in the top of the third, worked out of a two-on, two-out jam in the fourth, and set the Vikings (0-6) down in order in the fifth and sixth. With subs getting their first go through the Wonder Boys lineup, Jumper pushed Ayers home with a fielder's choice in the fifth, and three hits — including a two-run single from Heward and a moon shot three-run home run over the left field bleachers by Cole Fergus — gave them five more runs in the sixth.

Ten different Tech players had a hit in the first game, and 13 scored at least one run, including all nine starters. Heward led the way with a 4-for-5 effort with three RBIs, while Ayers and Castleberry each went 2-for-4 and combined for five runs driven in and three scored. The 17 runs is the most the Wonder Boys have scored in a game since a 20-15 victory over Northwestern Oklahoma on April 5 of last season, and the 17-run win is the largest since a 22-0 difference against Quincy Feb. 24, 2013.

The offense slowed down a bit in the nightcap, but with Johnson dealing from the hill, the single run scored in the bottom of the first—as Marcus Wilson drew a walk, moved to third on a pair of wild pitches and scored after Castleberry got a second chance on a dropped foul flyball and singled to right—seemed like it could hold up. Johnson was perfect through four innings, canceled the first Augustana hit of the game out with a double play in the fifth, and worked around his only two walks of the game in the sixth to keep the Vikings off the board.

The Wonder Boys added valuable insurance runs in the fifth and sixth, as O'Neil doubled to start the fifth, Wilson walked and Ayers knocked them both in with a double to the wall in right. In the sixth, Jumper led off with a single, moved to third on two balks and scored on O'Neil's sacrifice fly to center. Those runs wound up being all that more important after Augustana hit a pair of home runs in the top of the seventh to pull within 4-3, but closer Randy Vallejo picked up his fourth save of the season, getting a groundout, flyout and pop-up to end it.

Johnson went six innings, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out six. His first six innings of scoreless work capped a 14-inning scoreless streak for the Wonder Boys staff dating back to Saturday night. Jumper knocked a pair of hits in Game 2, while O'Neil and Castleberry each had a hit and RBI, while Ayers went 2-for-2 with a pair of runs knocked in.

The Wonder Boys return to action Tuesday, heading to Searcy, Arkansas for a nonconference doubleheader against Harding.