Arkansas Tech University moved into sole possession of first place in the Great American Conference baseball standings with a three-game sweep of Northwestern Oklahoma State University at Tech Field in Russellville on Friday and Saturday.
The Wonder Boys (8-6 overall, 6-0 GAC) will host Missouri Southern State University for a 2 p.m. non-conference contest at Tech Field on Wednesday, March 1. Live coverage will be available at www.arkansastechsports.com.
Game One: Tech 1, NWOSU 0
Kyle Wilson pitched a four-hit shutout to lead Arkansas Tech to a 1-0 win over Northwestern Oklahoma State in the series opener on Friday.
Wilson (2-0), the reigning GAC pitcher of the week, struck out 11 Rangers over nine innings of work.
Marcus Wilson drove in the game’s only run on a third-inning single.
Bryce Tomlin (1-2) went the distance on the mound for Northwestern Oklahoma State. He allowed one run on three hits while striking out seven.
Game Two: Tech 9, NWOSU 3
Dylan McDearmon went 4-for-4 with a home run and four runs batted in to lift Arkansas Tech to a 9-3 victory over Northwestern Oklahoma State in game one of a Saturday doubleheader.
McDearmon’s two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning broke a 3-3 tie and gave Tech the lead for good.
Trent Armstrong (2-1) pitched the first five and one-third innings for the Wonder Boys and allowed three runs on five hits while striking out eight.
Tech reliever Quentin Bowling did not allow a hit over the final three and two-thirds innings to secure his first save of the season.
Nick Llorente (0-2) started on the mound for the Rangers and allowed six runs on 10 hits in five and two-thirds innings.
Game Three: Tech 9, NWOSU 2
Geoffrey Birkemeier’s pitching and the hitting of Mark Vaughn and Zach Klockowski allowed Arkansas Tech to complete a three-game sweep of Northwestern Oklahoma State with a 9-2 victory on Saturday.
Birkemeier (2-1) allowed two unearned runs on two hits while striking out five over six innings. Jesse Harbin came on to get the final three outs.
Vaughn and Klockowski had three RBIs apiece. Klockowski hit his fifth home run of 2017.
Kyle Love and Korey Thompson added one RBI each for the Wonder Boys.
NWOSU starting pitcher Matt Bickford (0-1) surrendered five runs, four of which were earned. He worked four and one-third innings and allowed eight hits.
