BETHANY, Okla. – The Arkansas Tech baseball team won its second series in as many attempts on Sunday as they powered past Southern Nazarene, 17-9, in the rubber game of the three-game set.
In the game, the Wonder Boys (10-5, 5-1 GAC) scored their 17 runs on 19 hits with 11 of those coming as extra-base hits. The Wonder Boys would double four times and hammered out seven home runs. The seven home runs ties a school record for most homers in a game. The last time a Tech team hit seven home runs in a game was back in 2012 when they did so against Harding.
A total of six different hitters in the lineup hit a home run with
Keaton Ranallo connecting for two. It was the second time this week that Ranallo has had two home runs in a game and his season total is now at five to lead the team.
Also homering in the game were
Sam Stephenson,
Cade McBride,
Sawyer Duddleston,
Markos Cabranes and
Shane Poe. For Cabranes, McBride and Poe, that was their first homers of the season.
The offense that ended up fueling the Wonder Boys to the win started to show up in the middle innings as Tech didn't score until the fourth inning when Ranallo and Cabranes both hit solo home runs. Those two homers brought Tech within a run of SNU, 3-2. An inning later, Ranallo hit his second solo home run to tie the game.
In the bottom of the frame, however, the Crimson Storm (4-9, 2-4 GAC) struck for five unearned runs with the big blow being a grand slam.
Tech responded with two runs in the sixth and a nine-run seventh. The two runs in the sixth were driven in on a double by McBride. In the seventh, Cabranes doubled home two. Later in the inning, Stephenson and Duddleston both hit two-run home runs.
Brandon Bunton then had a RBI double while Cabranes collected his fourth and fifth RBIs when he singled home two.
The Wonder Boys would hit two more home runs in the game with McBride hitting a two-run shot in the eighth and Poe a solo shot in the ninth.
A total of three pitchers were used in the game for Tech.
Gerald Pintarich got the start and worked 2.1 innings.
Marshall Brown had the next 2.2 innings while
Grant Shahan handled the final 4.0 innings. Shahan will get credited with the win. Over his time on the mound, Shahan allowed one run on five hits, walked none and struck out five.
The Wonder Boys will now prepare to be at home next week for four-straight games starting with a mid-week game against Union on Tuesday. First-pitch for the game is scheduled for 3 p.m.
