ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Playing in less-than-ideal weather conditions at Ouachita, the Arkansas Tech baseball team bounced back from a heartbreaking 4-3 walk-off loss in the opener of Friday's doubleheader to force a split with a 7-1 win in the nightcap.
GAME ONE
In the opening game, the Wonder Boys (2-3) jumped out to a 2-0 lead through three innings of play thanks to a RBI single by
Evan Hafley in the first and a RBI triple by
Matt Robbins in the third. In the fourth inning, Ouachita struck for a pair of runs to tie the game.
Prior to that, Tech starter
Riyan Rodriguez had been able to wiggle out of trouble as the Tigers (1-1) put the leadoff man on base each of the first four innings. In the first inning, Rodriguez responded to that leadoff baserunner by striking out the side. In the second, he worked around a leadoff double thanks to a pair of popouts and a strikeout looking. In the third, Rodriguez walked the leadoff man and then retired the next three batters in order.
The damage in the fourth came after the leadoff batter reached on an error at third base. That was followed by an infield single deep in the hole at short. Following a sacrifice bunt that moved both runners into scoring position, the Tigers cashed them in on a single to centerfield.
The score would remain tied until the top of the sixth when Jonathan Arrieta hit his first home run of the season out to straightaway centerfield. A half-inning later, however, the Tigers managed to tie the score again, this time with a two-out RBI single to right.
The Wonder Boys went quietly in the top of the seventh, but Ouachita wouldn't be able to end it in the bottom of the frame as reliver
Armando Romero struck out the side.
After nothing doing in the top of the eighth, the game was quickly decided in the bottom of the eighth as on the first pitch, the Tigers' Pierce Mitchum hit an opposite field walk-off home run out to right field.
GAME TWO
Pitching was on display in the night cap early for both teams and remained solid for the Wonder Boys.
After neither team reached base through the first two innings, Arrieta led off the third with a walk. Following that,
Drew Bailey laid down a bunt single down the third base line to push Arrieta to second.
Elijah Boyer then sacrifice bunted both runners 90 feet. In the next at-bat,
Kandon Bennett forced home the first run of the game on a RBI groundout to shortstop.
The Tigers were unable to muster a baserunner in the bottom half and that paved the way for a three-run top of the fourth for the Wonder Boys.
That inning began with three-straight singles, the first by Hafley, the second by
Garrett Crews and the third by
Trace Maddux. The Maddux single was also a RBI as Hafley scored. Now with runners on the corners and one out, Arrieta collected a RBI as he successfully laid down a safety squeeze bunt that scored Crews and also ended up being a single.
The Wonder Boys would turn to the bunt once more with a similar situation and this time it was Bailey who picked up the RBI as Maddux scored.
In the bottom of the fourth, Ouachita finally got their first baserunner of the game off Wonder Boys' starter
Hayes Cox on a two-out single. Cox would promptly strikeout the next batter to avoid any damage.
With the score still 4-0 in favor of the Wonder Boys, Arrieta made it 5-0 as he connected on his second homer of the day, this time a solo shot out to left field. The Tigers would match that big fly with one of their own with two outs in the bottom half to break the shutout, but once more, Cox struck out the next batter to end the inning.
In the top of the seventh, the Wonder Boys added two runs of insurance to take a 7-1 lead. The inning began with Robbins reaching base. Robbins then stole second and was moved to third during the next at-bat on a Hafley groundout. In the ensuing at-bat, Robbins scored as Crews reached on a fielder's choice. After Crews swiped second, he was driven in by a RBI single through the right side by Maddux.
Cox then returned for the bottom of the seventh and worked around a one-out single to put the finishing touches on a complete-game victory. Cox is now 2-0 on the season and has both of the Wonder Boys victories.
The Wonder Boys will now prepare for another cold day at the ballpark and will make their way across the street from Ouachtia to take on Henderson State on Saturday afternoon. It will be one nine-inning game starting at 1 p.m.
