MAGNOLIA, Ark. – Arkansas Tech senior right-hander
Cole Dickson had his best start as a Wonder Boy on Friday night as he pitched 7.0 scoreless innings with eight strikeouts on the road at Southern Arkansas. Dickson's outing helped Tech pick up a 4-1 win in the opening game of the series.
Friday night's game played out like a classic pitcher's duel among the starters as both held their opponents scoreless through the first five innings. SAU starter Eli Hutcherson was the first to blink in the showdown as he surrendered a run in the top of the sixth.
Cole Dawson led that inning off by reaching base on an error by the SAU first baseman. A batter later,
Derek Rockett singled to centerfield, moving Dawson to second. After the second out of the inning was made,
Weston Johnston came through with a clutch single through the left side to score Dawson.
Dickson then went back out on the mound and hung another zero as he retired the side in order.
Neither team scored in the seventh, taking the game to the eighth, 1-0 in favor of Tech.
In the top of the eighth,
Tyler Sardelli hit a one-out double, prompting a pitching change by SAU. Rockett then reached on a throwing error by the SAU third baseman. That error allowed Sardelli to score from second, to make it 2-0, Tech.
One batter later, Johnston provided pivotal run insurance as he hit a two-run home run to left, pushing Tech's lead to 4-0.
In the bottom of the frame, SAU scored their lone run of the game on a two-out solo home run.
Ashton Greenlee, who came on in relief of Dickson to start that eighth inning did not let that homer faze him as he retired the next batter to quell any momentum.
After the Wonder Boys were unable to score any more insurance runs in the top of the ninth, they handed the ball over to
Eric Woodley for the bottom half. Woodley would get the first two batters out and then issued a two-out walk, but he quickly retired the next batter to put the final touches on his fourth save of the season.
The Wonder Boys and Muleriders will close out the series with a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. The twin-bill is scheduled to start at 2 p.m.
