RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Trailing by a pair of runs heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, the No. 2-seed Arkansas Tech baseball team rallied to score three times to come away with a thrilling 6-5 walk-off win over No. 8-seed East Central in Game One of the GAC Baseball Championship Series on Thursday night.
East Central was first to score in the game as they picked up a run in the top of the first inning. The Wonder Boys responded in the bottom of the frame and scored a pair of runs on a clutch two-out, two-RBI single to shallow centerfield by
Tommy Caya.
The score held until the top of the fourth when the Tigers scored three runs on one hit while also benefiting from a Tech error. In the bottom of the frame, the Wonder Boys got one of the runs back to pull within a run, 4-3, on a RBI double by
Weston Johnston.
ECU answered right back in the top of the fifth with a leadoff home run to make it 5-3.
It would remain 5-3 in favor of the Tigers heading into the bottom of the ninth, but the makings of a comeback started early as the first two batters reached with
Brendyn Bard drawing a full count walk and
Drew Vega getting hit-by-a-pitch on the very next offering from the new ECU pitcher.
Derek Rockett then shot a well-placed double down the left field line for a ground-rule double that forced home Bard and put Vega, the potential tying run at third with no outs. That situation chased the new reliever for ECU as they went to another pitcher from the bullpen.
On his first offering,
Cole Dawson was textbook in hitting behind the runners as he grounded out to second base to drive in Vega for the tie and move Rockett to third with one out.
Tyler Sardelli then drew a walk to put runners on the corners.
The Tigers then got the second out on a fielder's choice to third base in which they made the play at the plate to keep it a tie game, well tie for the time being. Prior to that fielder's choice, Sardelli had stolen second base to get out of a double play and then got to third on the play.
After two pitches had an even count on Caya, the junior lefty punched a groundball that got through the left side of the infield to drive in Sardelli for the game-winning run.
The Wonder Boys and Tigers will meet for Game Two of the series on Friday, May 8. First-pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. from Baswell Field.
