ENID, Okla. — Bryan Heward slammed a three-run homer in the ninth inning, but the combination of defensive miscues and stellar pitching by Ouachita Baptist's Connor Eller was too much to overcome for the Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys baseball team as Tech (30-20) dropped an 11-3 decision to Ouachita Baptist (25-15) in the opening round of the Great American Conference tournament in Enid, Oklahoma.

Eller, the reigning GAC pitcher of the year, was perfect through three innings, allowing his first baserunner of the game on a hit batsman. That runner was quickly erased on a double-play ball. The Wonder Boys were able to put together a few threats along the way, but the Tigers turned three double plays behind Eller to stop the Wonder Boys' efforts in their tracks.

Meanwhile, Wonder Boys starter Trent Armstrong held the Tigers close through the early innings, only running into trouble in the third inning when OBU claimed a 3-0 lead. Armstrong held the Tigers off the board in the fourth and fifth, but the Tigers came back with two in the sixth before Armstrong gave way to the bullpen in the seventh.

OBU put the game out of reach in the seventh inning, scoring six runs on four errors to jump ahead 11-0, before Heward's ninth-inning blast put the Wonder Boys on the board. Tech continued to threaten through the inning before OBU turned its final double play to end the contest.

Arkansas Tech will return to action on Sunday, facing Southeastern Oklahoma in an elimination game slated for 12:30 p.m. The game will be carried live on KWKK-FM (100.9) in Russellville, while live audio, video, and statistics are available at www.arkansastechsports.com.