RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Tech baseball team came from behind in the opening game of Saturday's doubleheader against No. 10-ranked Southern Arkansas and then went into extra innings before walking off on a two-run home run by
Evan Hafley in the bottom of the ninth to secure the twin-bill sweep.
GAME ONE
In the opener, the Wonder Boys (7-4, 5-0 GAC) fell behind quickly as the power of the SAU lineup jumped the Muleriders (4-4, 2-3 GAC) out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the first inning. All four of the runs scored in that inning came via the longball as the Muleriders hit a pair of two-run home runs.
Despite the fireworks to start the game, the Wonder Boys and game one starting pitcher
Patrick Miner would settle in. In fact, Miner would hold the Muleriders scoreless over the next three innings. During that time, the Wonder Boys began to work their way in to the game.
In the bottom of the second, Tech plated their first run of the game on a sacrifice fly off the bat of
Josh Detweiler. Two innings later, Detwiler crushed a triple to right-centerfield that scored both
Evan Hafley and
Trace Maddux. Later in the fourth, the Wonder Boys tied the score at four-all on a RBI single through the right side by
Drew Bailey.
In the next half inning, SAU was able to get back at Miner and chase him from the start as they plated two runs on a two-out double to left field.
John Walsh came on in relief of Miner and struck out the first man he faced to end the inning.
Both teams were quiet in their next trips to the plate, but the Wonder Boys got back on track in the sixth, scoring three runs on two hits and benefitting from a pair of SAU errors. All of the damage done by the Wonder Boys that inning came with two outs. The biggest play of that inning was a successful double steal by Bailey and Detwiler as it knotted the game at six-all. A batter later, the Wonder Boys went up by a run on a RBI single to shortstop by
Elijah Boyer.
An inning later, the Wonder Boys began to start building up some insurance as they scored twice in the frame. Both runs scored on the monster home run over the indoor baseball facility in left field. The final run of insurance scored in the eighth on a sac fly off the bat of
Carter Thessing who was pinch-hitting.
As the Wonder Boys were adding insurance at the plate, the bullpen closing the door. After coming in the game in the fifth, Walsh, who earned his first collegiate win, would go on to pitch 2.2 innings and allow just one hits while striking out four. Coming on in relief of Walsh in the eighth inning was
Mason Griffin (Rogers, Ark.). Griffin would retire all five batters he faced and struck out one as he secured his first career save.
GAME TWO
In the nightcap, the Wonder Boys were the ones to jump out to an early lead thanks to a two-run home run by Detweiler in the second inning.
After being held scoreless on just two hits through the first three innings, the Muleriders struck for a four-run fourth inning to flip the two-run difference in their favor. All four of those runs were scored with no outs off of Wonder Boys starter
Hayes Cox. Cox would bear down in the inning and eventually worked out of the inning, but it would be his last.
The Wonder Boys would lean upon a pair of freshmen arms to escape a bases-loaded jam in the fifth.
Hayden Key started the inning and picked up a strikeout but walked a pair. The other
Mason Griffin on the Wonder Boys then came in in relief and picked up the next two outs to get Tech out of the jam.
That momentum carried over into the next half inning as the Wonder Boys scored twice to tie the game at four-all. The first run scored on a Hafley RBI single to right-centerfield while the second crossed the plate as
Matt Robbins took advantage of a passed ball.
Neither team would score the next two innings as the nightcap pressed on to extra innings. In the eighth nothing crossed the plate for either team as each were retired in order.
In the top of the ninth, Griffin retried the first two batter before allowing a two-out double to left-centerfield. That double was the lone hit Griffin would allow. After that he got the next batter to flyout to end the inning.
In the bottom of the frame, the Wonder Boys were quickly down to their final out of the inning before
Matt Robbins worked a walk. That set the stage for Hafley's heroics on the walk-off. With the game-ending bomb, Hafley ended the game 4-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored.
Griffin would also earn the win, his first collegiate victory, as he ended up pitching the final 4.2 innings of the game. In his time on the mound, Griffin allowed just one hit, walked two and struck out nine.
UP NEXT
The Wonder Boys and Muleriders will now conclude their series with a single-game on Sunday, March 7. First-pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
