ADA, Okla. – The Arkansas Tech baseball team emphatically put the finishing touches on a three-game weekend sweep of East Central on Saturday as Tech's offense scored 16 runs on 18 hits en route to a 16-3 run-rule win in seven innings.
The offensive dominance began right away for the Wonder Boys (5-4, 3-0 GAC) as they plated four runs in the top of the first inning. They would go on to score at least one run in each of the next six innings with multiple runs crossing home plate all but once in that stretch. The only inning that the Wonder Boys would not score in was the top of the seventh and by then they had already racked up 16 runs.
Comfortably ahead throughout the entire game, the Wonder Boys were able to dig deep into their bench as a total of 16 players got at least one at-bat. Of that, 14 registered at least one hit.
Jonathon Arrieta,
Josh Detweiler and
Trace Maddux all had multiple hits with Arrieta and Detweiler notching three hits and Maddux two. That trio also accounted for six RBIs. Arrieta had three, Detwiler two and Maddux one.
As a team, the Wonder Boys also racked up the extra-base hits as they totaled nine. Doubling in the game were
Evan Hafley, Arrieta (twice), Detweiler and
Joe Morin. Both of Maddux's hits went for triples and
Gabriel Garcia and Detweiler also left the yard.
While the Wonder Boys were able to get a lot of position players in the mix, they were also able to get some arms in the game as they used five pitchers total.
Riyan Rodriguez got the start and pitched the first three innings. He would allow three hits and one earned run, walked two and struck out two.
Armando Romero then came on in relief and pitched an inning and eventually struck out the side.
Mason Griffin then retired the five batters he faced, striking out four.
John Walsh got a strikeout of the lone man he faced in the bottom of the sixth.
Shelby Quiggins then pitched the final inning and did not allow a run while recording a strikeout of his own.
The Wonder Boys will now prepare to make their long-awaited home debut this coming weekend as they welcome in No. 10-ranked Southern Arkansas to Baswell Field. The three-game series is scheduled to start on Friday night at 6 p.m.
