SHAWNEE, Okla. – The Arkansas Tech baseball team bounced back from a tough walk-off loss on the road on Saturday evening at Oklahoma Baptist with an offensive onslaught throughout both ends of Sunday's doubleheader.
The Wonder Boys would score a whopping 38 runs on 33 hits across both games, winning the opener 15-3 in seven innings and then in the scheduled seven-inning finale, won 23-4.
GAME ONE
Tech scored a single run in the top of the first as
Cole Dawson scored on a passed ball. Oklahoma Baptist responded with a two-run inning in their half of the first to go up 2-1. That would be the only time the Bison would hold a lead all day on Sunday, and it was very much short lived – akin to Kim Kardashian's "marriage" to former Minnesota Golden Gopher great Kris Humpries – as the Wonder Boys struck for six runs in the top of the second.
A pair of one-out hit-by-pitches taken by
Brendyn Bard and
Drew Vega opened the door to the big inning. The first run then scored as
Derek Rockett singled to right to score Bard. Dawson then drew a walk to load the bases, which allowed for
Tyler Sardelli to hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Vega and give Tech a 3-2 lead.
Kirby Jenkins then walked for the fourth free bag issued of the inning.
Tommy Caya followed with a RBI single while
Weston Johnston capped the scoring with a two-run single up the middle.
Two innings later, the Wonder Boys scored six runs once more, this time on the strength of four hits. Caya, Vega, Rockett, Dawson and Sardelli all had RBIs in the inning while Sardelli scored the first run on a passed ball.
Oklahoma Baptist scored their third and final run of the game in the bottom of the seventh, but the Wonder Boys got that run back, plus one, with two runs in the top of the seventh to bring the score to its final of 15-3. Both runs that inning came home on a two-run double by Johnston.
The beneficiary of all the offense in the opener was
Creighton Jacobitz. He would go on to pitch a complete game, and in his 7.0 innings, would scatter five hits, allow three runs (one earned), walk one and strikeout eight.
GAME TWO
While most sequels are nowhere near as good as the original, the Wonder Boys found a way to make the second game of Sunday's doubleheader even better than the first.
In the blink of an eye, and for the third time that day, the Wonder Boys put a six-spot on the scoreboard, doing so in this game in the top of the first inning.
Rockett got things going with a leadoff walk. Dawson then reached on a fielding error by the Bison's centerfielder, which also allowed Rockett to make third. Sardelli then drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly. Jenkins then hit the first of three-consecutive singles to load the bases.
Luke Caussey got in on the action and had the second hit of that sequence with a single to right while Johnston singled to center.
All of that was to set the table for the back-breaking blow from Martin as he hit a grand slam to left.
The Wonder Boys came back with three more runs in the second inning to take a commanding 9-0 lead. In that inning, Jenkins, Johnston and Martin recorded RBIs.
After not scoring in the third, the Wonder Boys would score 14 runs over the next three innings with five in the fourth, four in the fifth and five in the sixth.
During that time, Oklahoma Baptist managed to score their four runs in the game with three in the fourth and one in the sixth.
This time it was
Daniel Hutchison who was the beneficiary of the offensive support. He would pitch 6.0 innings, scatter nine hits, four runs, walk none and strike out eight.
Ben Ellison handled the final inning on the mound and he carved up the top of the order to the tune of striking out side.
UP NEXT
The Wonder Boys will now prepare to make their final appearance at home during the regular season this coming Tuesday as they will host Union in a midweek game. That contest is scheduled for a 3 p.m. start.
