RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Tech baseball team came back from a 9-2 loss in the opening game of Saturday afternoon's doubleheader and shutout Ouachita Baptist, 4-0 in the second game to split the twin-bill and give them the series victory after winning on Friday night, 5-2.
GAME ONE
In the opener, the Tigers jumped out to an early lead by scoring a run in the top of the first. They would later make it a 4-0 advantage thanks to a three-run third inning.
Tech would plate their lone two runs of the game in the bottom of the fourth on a two-RBI single up the middle by
Drew Vega, cutting the Tiger lead to two runs, 4-2. Ouachita then got one of those runs back in the top of the fifth on a solo home run and led by three, 5-2.
In the top of the eighth, Ouachita struck for four runs of insurance to push the score to its eventual final of 9-2.
GAME TWO
In the seven-inning game, the Wonder Boys took control early as they scored three runs on three hits in the bottom of the second.
Kirby Jenkins led that inning off with a single. He then got to second on a wild pitch. After
Derek Rockett drew a walk, Jenkins got to third on an errant throw and failed pickoff attempt of Rockett at first. After the first out was recorded on a strikeout,
Braden Watkins doubled to left field to score Jenkins and move Rockett to third.
A second strikeout put the Wonder Boys on the verge of scoring just one run in the second, but Vega hit a chopper that soared over the Tigers' third baseman head and into left field, scoring both Rockett and Watkins.
That 3-0 score held until the bottom of the sixth as the two starting pitchers were gripped in a pitcher's duel. Fortunately for the Wonder Boys,
Daniel Hutchison would win the duel as he pitched 6.0 shutout innings, scattering three hits and striking out five.
His opponent, Braden Tucker, pitched well overall, but the three-run second was costly and he would also go on to allow the fourth and final run for the Wonder Boys as they scored an insurance run in the top of the sixth on a RBI double from Watkins.
Eric Woodley, who picked up a save on Friday night, came on in the seventh for a non-save situation and kept the Tigers off the board while striking out two to secure the win.
UP NEXT
The Wonder Boys will now prepare for a road midweek game at Mississippi College this coming Tuesday. First-pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
