RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Tech baseball team split a mid-week doubleheader with No. 13-ranked Delta State at home on Tuesday afternoon. Tech dropped the first game 11-1 in seven innings and won the second game 5-4.
GAME ONE
The opener was mostly dominated by the visiting Statesmen (25-11) as they jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first and added two more runs in the top of the second. The Wonder Boys (23-16) were unable to get a baserunner to reach until
Josh Detweiler's two-out single in the bottom of the fourth.
Nothing came of the two-out knock by Detweiler and in the next half inning, Delta State broke the game open with a five-run top of the fifth to take a 10-0 lead.
The Wonder Boys would score their lone run of the game in the bottom of the inning on a pinch-hit RBI single from
Landon Lord. A batter earlier,
Carter Thessing doubled to left field with two outs.
Neither team scored in the sixth, but Delta State was able to push across one more run in the top of the seventh to regain a 10-run lead and bring the run-rule back into play. The Wonder Boys would be retired in order in the bottom of the seventh as the opening game ended 11-1 in favor of Delta State.
GAME TWO
In the second game of the twin-bill, Delta State once more scored first, but there was not a crooked number as Tech starting pitcher
Armando Romero limited the Statesmen to one run in the top of the second inning.
The Wonder Boys offense then found its footing in the bottom of the inning as they scored five runs on five hits.
The inning started with
Shelby Quiggins getting hit-by-a-pitch.
Ty Van Meter then singled to move Quiggins to third.
Austin Terrell then laid down a successful safety sacrifice bunt to score Quiggins and tie the game at one-all. In the next at-bat, Thessing connected for a two-run home run to right field, giving the Wonder Boys the lead.
Lord then followed with a double down the right field line. He took third in the next at-bat on a single through the left side off the bat of
Sam Stephenson.
Trace Maddux then doubled home Lord and moved Stephenson to third. A walk to Detweiler loaded the based with one out.
Evan Hafley then cashed in a RBI for Tech's fifth run of the game on a groundout to shortstop.
Delta State answered back with a run in the third, but the damage was limited by reliever
JT Cafferty.
After that big second inning at the plate in the second, the bats went somewhat quiet for the Wonder Boys over the remainder of the game as they were unable to add on any runs.
With the Tech offense in neutral, the Statesmen continued to chip away and plated a single run in the fifth to make it a 5-3 game.
Looking to close out the game, the Wonder Boys turned to their closer,
Ty Van Meter in the top of the seventh.
After getting the first out on a called strike three, Van Meter ran into a little bit of trouble as he allowed a double. During the ensuing at-bat, the batter that doubled moved to third on a wild pitch. That allowed him to score the Statesmen's fourth run on a groundout to shortstop. The Statesmen then put the potential tying run on base following a single, but Van Meter made quick work of the next batter he faced, striking him out swinging to end the game and securing his fifth save of the season.
UP NEXT
The Wonder Boys will now prepare for a lengthy road trip this weekend to Alva, Oklahoma where they will take on Northwestern Oklahoma in a big three-game series as Tech looks to solidify the spot in the upcoming GAC Baseball Tournament.
