Arkansas Tech University maintained sole possession of first place in the Great American Conference baseball standings by sweeping a three-game series from Ouachita Baptist University at Rab Rodgers Field in Arkadelphia on Friday and Saturday.
The Wonder Boys (12-6 overall, 9-0 GAC) will visit Delta State University for a two-game, non-conference series in Cleveland, Miss., on Tuesday, March 7, and Wednesday, March 8. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. both days.
Game One: Tech 6, OBU 3
Mark Vaughn’s RBI single in the top of the eighth inning gave Arkansas Tech the lead for good in a 6-3 victory over Ouachita Baptist on Friday.
Vaughn broke a 3-3 tie when his single up the middle brought Dylan McDearmon home with the go-ahead run. Korey Thompson followed with a single of his own that drove in two insurance runs for the Wonder Boys.
Tech’s bullpen took it from there. Branden Bohuslav worked a scoreless bottom of the eighth and Jesse Harbin followed suit in the bottom of the ninth. Harbin earned his second save of 2017.
ATU starting pitcher Kyle Wilson (3-0) limited the Tigers to three runs on two hits in seven innings. He struck out five.
Ouachita’s John Franklin Matros (1-2) took the loss on the mound. He worked the first seven and two-thirds innings and was charged with six runs, four of which were earned, on 10 hits.
Game Two: Tech 17, OBU 1
Kyle Gibbs went 3-for-5 with a home run and four runs batted in to lead Arkansas Tech to a mercy rule-shortened 17-1 win over Ouachita Baptist in game one of a Saturday doubleheader.
ATU rapped out 13 base hits, four of which went for extra bases. Gibbs finished a triple short of hitting for the cycle.
Thompson and Jake Harvey had two hits apiece for Tech.
The Tigers aided the Wonder Boys by committing four errors, throwing seven wild pitches and issuing seven walks.
Trent Armstrong (3-1) went the distance on the mound for Arkansas Tech. He allowed one run on five hits while striking out five over seven innings.
OBU starting pitcher Abe Young (2-3) surrendered 10 runs, five of which were earned, on seven hits in four innings.
Game Three: Tech 3, OBU 2
Arkansas Tech did all of its damage in the first five innings and then held on to defeat Ouachita Baptist 3-2 in the series finale on Saturday.
An RBI triple by Zach Klockowski in the third inning, McDearmon’s RBI double in the fifth inning and Vaughn’s RBI single later in that frame staked the Wonder Boys to a 3-0 edge.
Justin Weigle delivered a two-run home run for Ouachita in the bottom of the sixth, but Tech was able to stop the damage there.
Wonder Boy pitchers Geoffrey Birkemeier, Bohuslav and Harbin combined to get the final six outs and preserve a one-run victory.
Birkemeier (3-1) allowed two runs on six hits in five and one-third innings. Harbin collected his third save of the season.
