RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Tech baseball team avenged a tough loss during their opening weekend of action this season in Houston against Mississippi College as they picked up a 7-6 win over the Choctaws at home on Tuesday afternoon.
That aforementioned opening-weekend loss saw the Choctaws score seven runs in the top of the ninth inning to come-from-behind and beat Tech, 13-10.
In the win on Tuesday, the Wonder Boys got out to a 6-0 lead through four innings. The first run of the game for Tech came in the second inning and was a solo home run off the bat of
Kirby Jenkins. The Wonder Boys then struck for five runs on four hits in the bottom of the fourth to take their 6-0 lead.
That five-run fourth was started with a first-pitch hit-by-pitch to
Kolby Webb. Jenkins then followed with a HBP himself and a batter later, the bases were loaded after
Brendyn Bard singled up the middle.
Nolan Self then hit a sacrifice fly out to center to score the first run.
Luke Ray drove in the next run on a chopped infield single to third, scoring Jenkins. A walk was drawn by
Tyler Sardelli to push Ray to second.
Cole Dawson then drove in Bard on a single through the left side.
Simon Murray kept things going and drove in Ray on a single through the left side himself for the fourth run of the inning. The fifth and final run of the frame would score two batters later as Webb coaxed a bases loaded walk as the Wonder Boys batted around.
The Choctaws would get a run back in their half of the fifth and then scored three times in the sixth to pull within two of the Tech lead, 6-4. The Wonder Boys would then score what turned out to be a much-needed insurance run in their half of the sixth.
That run was aided by a pair of Mississippi College errors in the inning. The first allowed Dawson to reach base to start the frame and the second allowed Dawson to score as the Choctaws second baseman made a throwing error on a potential inning-ending double play.
The reason that insurance run was very much necessary was due to the Choctaws scoring twice and having the potential go-ahead run on base in the top of the ninth, but the Wonder Boys were able to get the final out to notch the revenge win.
Cole Dickson was the starting pitcher for the Wonder Boys and he would earn the win after pitching 5.0 innings with one unearned run allowed on four hits. He would walk one, hit one and strikeout three.
JT Cafferty handled the closing duties and picked up his fourth save of the season.
The Wonder Boys will now prepare for a home series this weekend against Henderson State. The series is scheduled to start on Friday, April 4 from Baswell Field.
