Southern Arkansas University took the rubber match on Saturday to earn a 2-of-3 games Great American Conference series victory over Arkansas Tech University at Goodheart Field in Magnolia.
The Wonder Boys (27-18 overall, 19-11 GAC) will close out the regular season by visiting Harding University for a three-game GAC series at Jerry Moore Field in Searcy on Friday, April 27, and Saturday, April 28.
First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday. Live coverage will be available on www.arkansastechsports.com.
Game One: SAU 5, Tech 3
Southern Arkansas second baseman Austin Baker notched four base hits and Muleriders’ starting pitcher Hunter Vasquez went eight innings in a 5-3 victory over Arkansas Tech on Friday.
Baker drove in one run and scored another. Jake Tisevich went 2-for-4 with two runs batted in and Dakota Wright went 2-for-4 with an RBI for SAU.
Vasquez (6-2) allowed three runs, none of which were earned, on five hits. He notched seven strikeouts.
Shane Pollard went 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Wonder Boys.
Game Two: Tech 6, SAU 5
Arkansas Tech withstood a last-chance rally by Southern Arkansas to defeat the Muleriders 6-5 in the second game of Friday’s doubleheader.
The Wonder Boys raced out to a 6-1 lead after four innings, but SAU plated two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and took advantage of a Tech error to score twice more with two out in the last of the seventh.
Nolan Withrow emerged from the Wonder Boys’ bullpen to induce a game-ending fielder’s choice and preserve a one-run victory. It was his fifth save of 2018.
Hayes Cox (8-2) started on the mound for Tech and struck out nine Muleriders over six and two-thirds innings. He was charged with five runs, three of which were earned, on nine hits.
Cody Wescott and Mark Vaughn both went 3-for-4 for the Wonder Boys. Wescott hit a home run and delivered two doubles. He drove in two runs and scored one. Vaughn scored two runs and drove in one.
Tech’s Riley Hickerson and Kyle Gibbs also notched an RBI.
Game Three: SAU 11, Tech 6
Extra-base hits by Cole Boyd and Jacob Richardson made the difference in an 11-6 Southern Arkansas win over Arkansas Tech on Saturday.
Boyd was 3-for-3 with two home runs and five RBIs, while Richardson finished 3-for-5 with three doubles and four RBIs.
Mulerider starting pitcher Jacob Stroder (7-2) surrendered four runs on 10 hits in eight innings.
Hickerson and Wescott were responsible for two RBIs apiece for the Wonder Boys.
