RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Tech baseball team got their weekend series against Harding off to a great start on Friday as they won both ends of the doubleheader, taking game one 5-0 and game two 7-3.
GAME ONE
The opener of Friday's doubleheader lasted just over two hours as both starters, Maddox Long for Harding and
John Gray for Tech, were locked in an old-fashioned pitcher's duel through the first five and a half innings of the game.
In that time, neither had allowed a run and combined to surrender just two hits.
The Wonder Boys (31-17, 22-9 GAC) were the first to break through on the scoreboard doing so in the bottom of the sixth as they scored three runs on three hits. The big break that the Wonder Boys got in the inning was a two-out throwing error by the Harding first baseman. That error came in the
Nick Jones at-bat and allowed
Sam Stephenson to score the first run while also obviously extending the inning.
Following that error, the Wonder Boys made it hurt with consecutive RBI doubles. The first came off the bat of
Keaton Ranallo and the second by
Logan Schwenke.
After being staked to a lead, Gray got the Wonder Boys back to the plate in rapid fashion as he needed just five pitches to retire the Bisons (32-17, 16-16 GAC) in order.
In the bottom of the seventh, Tech added a run of insurance on a RBI bunt base hit by Stephenson that scored
Markos Cabranes, who previously led off the inning with a single to centerfield.
Harding would threaten some in the top of the eight with a base hit and a free base via a hit-by-pitch, but Gray picked up a clutch swinging strikeout to end the inning and strand both runners on base.
Two batters after Gray was through eight innings of work on the mound, he got his fifth run of support as Schwenke absolutely destroyed a ball over the batter's eye in straightaway centerfield.
In the ninth, Gray allowed a one-out double, but would put the finishing touches on first complete game shutout of the season. In his 9.0 innings of work, Gray scattered four hits, walked three, hit one and struck out eight.
GAME TWO
The nightcap got scoring started earlier with the Wonder Boys scoring a run in the bottom of the first on a sacrifice fly off the bat of
Sawyer Duddleston.
Cade McBride previously led off the inning with a bunt single and then ended up on third with no outs on a wild pitch and a throwing error by the Harding catcher. Duddleston's sacrifice fly came two batters later.
In the top of the third, Harding took advantage of a leadoff walk and pushed across their first run of the day. The damage certainly could have been more by the Bisons, but Tech starter
Emiliano Mata got a great defensive play by Schwenke as he started a 3-6 double play to end the inning and holding Harding to the one run.
Not long into Tech's next at-bat, they recaptured the lead on a leadoff home run to left by McBride.
Neither team scored in the fourth or fifth innings, but Harding would rally for a pair of runs in the top of the sixth to chase Mata from the start and give them the first lead of the day, 3-2.
That lead was short-lived, however, as Tech responded with a five-run bottom of the sixth inning to swing back in front and create enough separation to easily put the finishing touches on the win.
In that all-important sixth inning, Ranallo led off with a ringing double to right-centerfield. Schwenke was then hit-by-a-pitch. Both were successfully moved up 90-feet on a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt by
Brandon Bunton. Cabranes then drove in the tying run on a sacrifice line out to right field. On that play, Schwenke was able to take third, which proved to be pivotal because a pitch later, Harding uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Schwenke to race home and score the go-ahead run.
After that,
Shane Poe drew a walk and quickly got to third during the next at-bat as he stole second and gained third on a throwing error by the Harding catcher. McBride then drove him in on an infield single to shortstop. After a steal of second, McBride was driven in on a single through the right side by Stephenson.
Two batters later, Jones scored Stephenson on a single up the middle for Tech's fifth and final run of the inning.
With a four-run lead now in his favor, Tech closer
Mason Griffin was able to seal the deal on the win and push his season win-loss record to 2-1.
UP NEXT
The Wonder Boys and Bisons will conclude their series on Sunday due to impending rain chances in Russellville on Sunday. With that, Bash at the Ballpark will be held on Sunday from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. and before the game starts, Senior Day will be held.
