RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Tech baseball team started out on absolute fire in their series opening game against Arkansas-Monticello on Thursday night with seven runs in the bottom of the first, but Tech would end up needing to walk-off UAM in the 10
th inning to secure the win.
After giving up a run in the top of the first, the Wonder Boys loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom half following consecutive singles from
Cole Dawson and
Tyler Sardelli and then a hit-by-pitch to
Kirby Jenkins.
Derek Rockett then drove in the first run of the frame on a single to short.
A walk taken by
Weston Johnston kept the bases loaded and forced home Sardelli.
Tommy Caya then singled home two with a single through the right side.
Zack Burrow followed with a single through the left side, scoring Johnston and making it 5-1, Tech. Two batters later,
Drew Vega hit a sacrifice fly to score Caya and make it 6-1. With the lineup coming back around, Dawson registered his second hit of the inning, this time driving in Burrow to make it 7-1.
The Boll Weevils would begin to chip away at the deficit in the top of the third with two runs in the inning. The Wonder Boys responded with three runs in the fourth inning to push their lead out to seven runs, 10-3.
In that inning, Jenkins had a RBI triple, Johnston a RBI double and
Brendyn Bard a sac fly RBI.
The Boll Weevils countered with three runs of their own in the fifth to make it a four-run game, 10-6. The Wonder Boys scored a run in their half of the fifth on a RBI triple by Rockett. That drove in Dawson from second.
UAM would not go away and they scored three more runs in the top of the sixth to suddenly make it a two-run game, 11-9. By the top of the eighth inning, the Boll Weevils had worked their way back and tied the game at 11-all thanks to solo home runs in the seventh and eighth innings.
The Boll Weevils then threatened to score again in the top of the ninth as they worked a pair of walks in the inning. Fortunately, nothing came of those walks as reliver
Eric Woodley kept the Boll Weevils off the board.
Tech would be retired in order in the bottom of the ninth, forcing the game into extras.
After coming on in relief in the top of the seventh, Woodley trotted back out to the mound for the 10
th. This time, Woodley sat the Boll Weevils down in order, moving the game to the bottom of the 10
th.
Jenkins would lead off the frame with a walk. Rockett then followed with a bunt single to third base. Both Jenkins and Rockett then moved up 90-feet on a wild pitch. UAM then loaded the bases with no outs on a hit-by-pitch to Johnston. That brought up
Braden Watkins to the plate with the bases loaded, no outs and the winning run at third.
Watkins, who came on as a defensive replacement in the top of the ninth came through with the clutch hit as he singled through the right side of the infield, giving Tech the thrilling 12-11 walk-off win in 10 innings.
The Wonder Boys and Boll Weevils will conclude their series on Friday afternoon with a doubleheader that is scheduled to start at 1p.m.
