Wonder Boys Win Series Against Harding

Arkansas Tech University secured the No. 2 seed in the Great American Conference Tournament by taking 2-of-3 games from Harding University in a regular season-concluding series at Tech Field in Russellville on Friday and Saturday.

The Wonder Boys (32-18 overall, 24-9 GAC) and the Bisons (22-27, 14-19) will meet again at Tech Field on Friday, May 5, and Saturday, May 6, in the opening round of the GAC Tournament.

First pitch is set for 7 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday. If the series is tied after two games, the two sides will play an if necessary game 30 minutes after the first game on Saturday ends.

The team that wins two games during the series will advance to the final stage of the GAC Tournament May 11-13.

Game One: Tech 19, HU 3

Zach Klockowski went 4-for-5 with two home runs and seven runs batted in to lead Arkansas Tech to a 19-3 win over Harding in the series opener on Friday.

Michael Post drove in three runs, Mark Vaughn clubbed a home run and had two RBIs and Korey Thompson and Kyle Gibbs added two RBIs apiece for the Wonder Boys.

ATU starting pitcher Kyle Wilson (8-0) pitched five shutout innings. He limited the Bisons to two hits and recorded seven strikeouts.

Game Two: HU 6, Tech 2

The relief pitching of Jackson Ward fueled Harding’s 6-2 victory over Arkansas Tech on Friday.

Ward (3-6) provided the Bisons with five and two-thirds innings of scoreless labor. He allowed one hit and struck out four.

Gibbs drove in both of the Wonder Boys’ runs with a second-inning home run that gave Tech a 2-1 lead, but Harding responded with four runs in the top of the third to take the lead for good.

Game Three: Tech 14, HU 5

Klockowski set the tone with a grand slam in the first inning and Arkansas Tech rolled to a 14-5 victory against Harding in the rubber match of the series on Saturday.

The senior from Tinley Park, Ill., added his second home run of the game, fourth of the series and 12th of the season in the seventh inning. Klockowski finished the game 2-for-5 with six RBIs.

Vaughn was 2-for-6 with a home run and four RBIs. Cody Wescott drove in two runs for the Wonder Boys.

The Wonder Boys also benefited from 14 walks issued by Harding pitchers.

Quentin Bowling (5-0) earned the win on the mound with three and one-third scoreless innings of relief.