HOUSTON, Texas – A pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning proved to be worth their weight in gold as the No. 19-ranked Arkansas Tech baseball team edged out Maryville by a score of 7-6 on Saturday evening of the Houston Winter Invitational played at Minute Maid Park.
 
Those two insurance runs in the top of the ninth were driven in by Josh Detweiler on a single to right and came as the Wonder Boys (4-0) were clinging to a one-run lead, 5-4. The Wonder Boys' lead had been as large as four runs after they broke a 1-all tie in the top of third with four runs on six hits.
 
In that third inning, Trace Maddux and Yadier Medina had RBI singles while Logan Schwenke had the big blow of the frame with a two-run home run out to left field. Maryville got one of those runs back in the bottom of the inning off Tech starter Patrick Miner, but that would be final damage Miner took on as he went on to pitch through sixth allowing just one hit during that time.
 
The Wonder Boys were also held off the board over the middle innings as it remained a 5-2 Tech lead.
 
In the bottom of the seventh and with Miner out of the game, the Saints (0-2) began to apply pressure to the Tech bullpen. A pair of walks combined with a wild pitch set the table for a two-run double with one out by Maryville to pull to within a run, 5-4. Shelby Quiggins, who came on in relief during the seventh eventually escaped the seventh with the Tech lead intact.
 
A scoreless eighth inning sent the game to the ninth with the one run being the difference.
 
In the top of the ninth, Tech began to put together their insurance package early. Ty Van Meter led off the inning with a single to left. Evan Hafley then reached on an error by the Maryvile third baseman. A wild pitch then advanced Van Meter to third and Austin Terrell, who came on to pinch-run for Hafley, to second. Detweiler then cashed in both runs in scoring position with an opposite field single to right.
 
The Wonder Boys threatened for more runs in the inning, but were held at bay, making it a three-run game heading into the bottom of the ninth.
 
Van Meter then came to the mound looking to close out the game. The sophomore newcomer recorded the first two outs with relative ease on strikeouts. He then got Maryville down to their last strike before a single through the left side kept the game going.
 
That single sprung new life into the Saints as they proceeded to make getting the elusive 27^th out difficult. The Saints would follow the two-out single with a walk and a RBI single to make it a 7-5 game. With the potential game-tying run on base and the potential game-winning run at the plate, the Wonder Boys had fortune go their way as Maryville's Ben Hopkins hit a ground-rule double to left field forcing pinch-runner Nick Hofmann, who represented the game-tying run to stop at third.
 
That fortune was paid off in the next at-bat as Van Meter struck out the batter to end the game.
 
Miner moved to 2-0 on the season as he got the win on the mound for Tech. Miner would pitch 6.0 innings, allow five hits, two runs, walk one and strikeout four. Van Meter, who also went 3-for-5 with two runs scored, earned the save and struckout three. Detweiler, Maddux, Medina and Schwenke all had multiple hits.
 
The Wonder Boys will now prepare to close out their time in Minute Maid Park on Sunday evening as they are set to take on St. Mary's. First-pitch is slated for 5 p.m. on Super Sunday.