RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Contrary to the emphasis across Major League Baseball this spring to make games ultimately go quicker, the constant of the game that is not changing and makes baseball as unique as it is lies in the fact that there is no game clock dictating when a game will end. Rather, a team must earn every out, and for all intents and purposes, is not ever out of a game if they have at-bats left to take.
That was fact was never more true than how Sunday's series finale between Arkansas Tech and No. 20 Henderson State played out as the Wonder Boys (14-5, 8-1 GAC) overcame an early double-digit deficit to end up beating Henderson by double-digits in seven innings, and in the process, completing a series sweep against the Reddies (11-7, 5-4 GAC).
Just a day after taking the first two games of the series, the Wonder Boys entered Sunday's game with eyes on a potential series sweep. Those hopes were dealt a major blow, however, from the very beginning as the Reddies struck for 10 runs in the top of the first inning. The monster first inning was also aided by a pair of miscues defensively by Tech that resulted in five of those runs being unearned.
The Wonder Boys were then quickly dispatched in their half of the first, giving way to a two-run top of the second by HSU. Again, only half of the runs in that inning were earned as the Wonder Boys committed a fielding error in the frame.
One more quiet inning at the plate for Tech brought the Reddies' bats back out where they tacked on a run in the top of the third to take a 13-0 lead.
Still not even through their lineup one time through, the Wonder Boys had an uphill battle to fight if they were to comeback and even make the game competitive.
That comeback effort had meager beginnings as the Wonder Boys collected their first hits and subsequent runs in the bottom of the third.
Markos Cabranes led off the inning with a walk, which was followed by a walk drawn by
Luke Ray as well. Finally back to the top of their order,
Cade McBride tallied the first hit and RBI of the day as he singled through the left side to score Cabranes. Three batters later,
Nick Jones singled through the right side to chase home pinch-runner
Brady Prince.
In the top of the fourth, the Reddies were held off the board for the first time in the game. That served as a major turning point in the game as the Wonder Boys turned in a 10-run inning of their own in the bottom of the frame to suddenly pull within a run, 13-12.
Similar to Henderson's 10-run inning in the top of the first, the Wonder Boys registered five hits in their big inning and also took advantage of several Reddie defensive miscues.
The inning started with
Logan Schwenke reaching on a fielding error by Henderson's third baseman. The bases then got loaded with no outs as
Brandon Bunton laid down a bunt single followed by a hit-by-pitch to Cabranes.
The first run scored on dropped fly ball by HSU's right field during the Ray at-bat. McBride then hit a sacrifice fly to score Bunton. A walk to Prince moved Ray to second. Duddleston then reached on an error by the Reddies' shortstop, which allowed Ray to score. After that, the big hits started to come for the Wonder Boys.
Jones had the first big knock with a two-RBI double to left field. Two batters later, Schwenke tripled to right field, driving in two more. Three batters after that, Ray hit a two-RBI single to right-center. The final hit of the inning was a McBride RBI single up the middle.
After finally escaping the fourth inning, the Reddies put up another run in the top of the fifth as they got a clutch two-out RBI to make it a 14-12 game.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Wonder Boys kept coming on offense. Following a leadoff hit-by-pitch to Duddleston, Jones doubled to left, putting the tying run in scoring position. Henderson would then come close to working out of the jam with a pair of strikeouts sandwiched around a hit-by-pitch that loaded the bases, but the Wonder Boys rose up for another clutch hit.
This time it was Cabranes who delivered the big hit as he crushed a go-ahead grand slam on to the roof of the indoor multi-sport complex in left field. And now, from down 13-0 and not even through their lineup once, the Wonder Boys led 16-14.
A single tally by the Reddies came in the top of the sixth, but it was negated as Tech scored twice in the bottom of the sixth off a mammoth two-run home run off the batter's eye in straightaway centerfield off the bat of
Keaton Ranallo.
Leading by three, the Wonder Boys were able to work around a pair of walks in the top of the seventh to hold the Reddies off the board again.
In the bottom of the inning, the Wonder Boys relentless offensive attack did not wane and within four batters, the bases were loaded with one out. With the bases loaded, Duddleston was plunked by a pitch for the third time forcing in a run. Three more runs came across to score without the benefit of a hit as Jones was Jones hit-by-a-pitch, Ranallo walked and Schwenke reaching on a fielder's choice.
After Schwenke's RBI it was 22-15 in favor of Tech. Bunton was then hit-by-a-pitch to once more load the bases in front of Cabranes. With a grand slam to his credit already in the game, Cabranes did the unthinkable and belted a second granny over the wall in left, this time ending the game in thrilling run-rule fashion.
The Wonder Boys will jump back in action this coming Tuesday as they are set to travel to Clinton, Miss. to take on Mississippi College. The mid-week game is scheduled to start at 3 p.m.
