RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Tech baseball team won the opening game of their weekend series at home against East Central on Friday night, 10-0 in seven innings.
The series-opening victory for the Wonder Boys featured efficient offense with production from the middle of the order and a dominant starting pitching effort.
Tyler Sardelli and
Kirby Jenkins each hit a home run and combined for seven RBIs from the No. 3 and No. 4 spots in the lineup while
Cole Dickson pitched 6.0 innings of shutout baseball with just three hits allowed and seven strikeouts.
Three of Dickson's seven punchouts in the game came in the top of the first inning as he mowed down the first three Tigers he faced. The offense then got him the only run of support he would end up needing in the bottom of the frame as Jenkins singled through the left side to drive in
Tommy Caya, who led the inning off with a single.
An inning later, the Wonder Boys struck for four runs on four hits with the biggest of the frame being a two-run home run by Sardelli.
Brendyn Bard led the inning off with a double off the wall in left. He then got to third on a failed pickoff attempt. David Ossana then drove in Bard on a single.
A sac bunt and a groundout followed to move Ossana to third where he quickly scored on a RBI single from
Cole Dawson. Not long after that, Sardelli hit his two-run shot.
The Wonder Boys then were held scoreless over the next two innings, but pushed across a run in the fifth on a double play turned by ECU. An inning later, they got the score to run-rule range with a four-spot.
Only one hit was recorded in that sixth inning, but it was a loud one as Jenkins unloaded for a three-run homer over the indoor facility in left field.
Ashton Greenlee then came on to pitch in relief of Dickson and he would have a leadoff single be erased on a game-ending double play.
The Wonder Boys and Tigers will now turn their attention towards a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon. The twin-bill is scheduled to start at 1 p.m.
