Eighth-seeded Arkansas Tech University maintained its Great American Conference Baseball Tournament mojo on Thursday by taking down fourth-seeded Henderson State University 3-2 at Clyde Berry Field in Arkadelphia.
With the win, the Wonder Boys (24-29) advance to a winners’ bracket contest at 4 p.m. Friday against the University of Arkansas-Monticello Boll Weevils.
Live coverage from Clyde Berry Field will be available at www.arkansastechsports.com.
The GAC Tournament is scheduled to conclude on Saturday, with the champion securing an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament.
Arkansas Tech pitcher Zach Skelton (6-6) earned a win for the third time in his last four starts. Skelton went seven innings and limited the Reddies to two runs on seven hits. He struck out seven.
Tech closer Jesse Harbin scattered three hits over two scoreless innings of relief for his 11th save of the season.
Marcus Wilson started Thursday’s scoring for the Wonder Boys when he came home on a wild pitch in the top of the first inning.
The Reddies (29-24) tied the score 1-1 on a run batted in by Joseph Gary in the last of the third.
Josh Watkins’ sacrifice fly in the fifth inning and Seth Wheeler’s RBI single in the eighth provided Arkansas Tech with a 3-1 lead.
Gary pulled Henderson State within one run of the lead in the bottom of the eighth. He trotted home while teammate AJ Kruzel was caught in a run down between first and second base, trimming the Wonder Boys’ edge to 3-2.
Tech second baseman Dylan McDearmon preserved that one-run lead by making a sliding catch on a pop-up along the right field line to end the eighth inning and strand the tying run on base.
McDearmon and Wheeler had two hits apiece for the Wonder Boys, who are now two wins away from their first postseason baseball championship since capturing the 1985 NAIA District 17 title.
