RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Tech baseball team split their doubleheader on Friday afternoon at home against Arkansas-Monticello, losing the opener 18-6 in eight innings and then winning the second game, 8-2. The split gave Tech a series win over UAM thanks to their 10-inning walk-off win on Thursday night.
GAME ONE
In the opener, UAM got out to a quick start, scoring five runs in the top of the second inning. The Wonder Boys were able to respond with three runs of their own in the bottom half.
Braden Watkins,
Brendyn Bard and
Cole Dawson collected RBIs in the frame.
An inning later, Tech scored a run on an infield single from Watkins to pull within a run, 5-4. UAM came back in the next half inning and struck for four runs to go up 9-4. The Boll Weevils then scored four more runs over the next two innings with one in the fifth and three in the sixth.
The Wonder Boys scored a single run in the sixth on a RBI single from Bard. UAM got that run back in the top of the seventh and then added a grand slam in the eighth to push it to a, 18-5 lead. Tech scored their sixth and final run in the bottom of the eighth on a RBI double from
Luke Caussey.
GAME TWO
In the second game, starting pitcher
Daniel Hutchison worked around a pair of one-out singles to hold UAM scoreless in the top of the first. The Wonder Boys' offense then picked up Hutch's effort with a four-run inning.
Tommy Caya led that inning off with a triple to centerfield.
Cole Dawson then drew a walk to put runners on the corners.
Tyler Sardelli then drove in the first run on a single through the right side.
Kirby Jenkins followed by reaching on a fielding error by the UAM shortstop. Dawson would score on that play.
Two batters later,
Brendyn Bard has a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Sardelli. After
Luke Caussey walked to extend the inning,
Drew Vega drove in the fourth run on an infield single to third.
That score held until the top of the third inning when UAM hit a two-out, two-run home run. That ended up being the only runs scored by the Boll Weevils, who had scored double-digits runs in the two prior games.
The Wonder Boys responded to that two-run inning by UAM with three in the bottom half. The scoring threat started early in the frame as the Wonder Boys loaded the bases with no outs thanks to a leadoff single from Caussey, a hit-by-pitch to Vega and walk drawn by Caya. Dawson drove in the first run of the inning on a sac fly to center. Sardelli then doubled home Vega for the second run. Caya would score moments later on a single to left by
Derek Rockett.
An inning later, Tech scored their eighth and final run on a Caya RBI single.
Hutchison would go on to throw a complete game, allowing the two runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out eight.
UP NEXT
The Wonder Boys will no prepare for a midweek non-conference game at home against Henderson State this coming Tuesday. First-pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. from Baswell Field.
