RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Tech baseball team scored 25 runs on 29 hits in just 14 innings of action on Saturday afternoon en route to collecting a doubleheader sweep over Southern Nazarene.
GAME ONE
In the opener, Arkansas Tech got on the scoreboard first in the bottom of the first with three runs on two hits. The big hit in the frame was an opposite field two-run home run off the bat of
Josh Detweiler. His home run came at-bat after
Trace Maddux drove in the first run of the game on a RBI groundout.
Southern Nazarene answered back with two runs of their own in the top of the second. Both runs scored on a two-out single to centerfield.
The Wonder Boys (13-8, 8-6 GAC) were held scoreless in the bottom of the inning, but struck for four runs on three hits in the next inning. As was the case back in the first, the big blow came in the form of a home run. This time it was a three-run shot out to left field off the bat of
Evan Hafley. Like Detweiler's home run, Hafley's was right in front of another run scoring for the Wonder Boys as
Yadier Medina doubles home
Ty Van Meter in the at-bat prior.
The Crimson Storm (3-22, 0-14 GAC) got one of those runs back in the next half inning on a leadoff home run out to right-centerfield. That would be the final run scored in the game by SNU.
From there, Tech scored the game's next six runs to bring the score to its eventual run-rule final of 13-3 in seven innings.
Five of those final six runs scored in the bottom of the fifth for the Wonder Boys. Four of those runs scored on a pair of two-RBI doubles with the first being hit by
Austin Terrell and the second by Medina. In between those, the Wonder Boys pulled off a successful double steal of home with Maddux taking second and Terrell swiping home plate.
The lone run in the fourth scored on a RBI single by Detweiler.
Patrick Miner got the start for the Wonder Boys and picked up his fifth win of the season. In 6.0 innings of work, Miner allowed nine hits, three runs, walked one and struck out five.
Hunter Ford came on in relief and pitched a scoreless seventh inning to wrap up the game.
GAME TWO
In the second game, the Wonder Boys once more jumped out to an early lead, this time taking a 7-0 lead through two innings of play.
Two of those runs scored in the first and came home on consecutive RBI doubles by Medina and Hafley. In the second, the Wonder Boys strung together a five-run, six-hit rally after having the first two batters of the inning be retired.
That two-out rally was sparked by a double off the wall in left field off the bat of
Sam Stephenson. Bennett then drove him in on a single to left field. Van Meter followed with a single through the right side. That set the stage for a three-run home run off the bat of Maddux. Medina then doubled down the left field line. In the ensuing at-bat, Medina scored on a RBI single by Hafley.
In the next half inning, SNU scored a pair of two-out hits themselves to get on the board. Tech got those runs back – plus one and scored three runs on three hits in the third. In that inning, Stephenson had a RBI single which was then followed by a pair of RBI groundouts by Bennett and Van Meter.
An inning later, the Wonder Boys went up by 10 runs thanks to a two-run home run to left-centerfield off the bat of
Sawyer Duddleston. The bomb was the first of the young career of the redshirt freshman from Springdale. Earlier in the game, he also collected his first collegiate hit.
Over the final three innings, the Crimson Storm would push across nine runs to suddenly make the final a one-run differential.
Shane Scott got the start in game two and picked up his third win of the season. He pitched 5.0 innings, allowed seven hits, six runs, walked two and struck out six.
Grant Shahan,
Marshall Brown and Van Meter combined to pitch the final two innings. Van Meter got the final out and secured his third save of the season.
UP NEXT
The Wonder Boys and Crimson Storm will conclude their series with a single game on Sunday starting at 1 p.m.
