Game One: Arkansas Tech 9, SWOSU 4 Bryan Heward went 3-for-4 with a home run, two runs batted in and two runs scored to help Arkansas Tech earn a 9-4 victory in game one of its Saturday doubleheader with Southwestern Oklahoma State. Mark Vaughn and Collin O’Neil added two base hits apiece for the Wonder Boys. Tech’s Cody Jones (6-2) went the distance on the mound. The Bulldogs accumulated 11 base hits off Jones, but they were only able to score four runs — three of which were earned. Jones induced 21 ground ball outs. He required 142 pitches en route to his second complete game of 2015. SWOSU starting pitcher Connor Garcia (1-5) surrendered six runs, three of which were earned, on six hits in three and two-thirds innings. Game Two: Arkansas Tech 14, SWOSU 4 Twenty base hits boosted Arkansas Tech to the series sweep with a 14-4 win over Southwestern Oklahoma State in the finale. It was the second-highest hit total of the season for the Wonder Boys, who rapped out a season-high 21 base hits against Southwest Baptist University on March 3. The 20-hit performance in the series finale on Saturday was Arkansas Tech’s highest single-game hits total in a regular season GAC game since April 5, 2014, when it recorded 21 hits against Northwestern Oklahoma State University. Cole Fergus was 4-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs for the Wonder Boys in game two Saturday. It was Fergus’ ninth home run of 2015. Heward, Vaughn and Patrick Castleberry notched three hits apiece. Heward, O’Neil and Seth Wheeler recorded two RBIs each. Heward blasted his eighth home run of the season. Kris Ayers went 2-for-5, meaning that the first five batters in the Arkansas Tech order all had multiple hits in the win. Rafiel Johnson (1-0) took advantage of his second opportunity to serve as a starting pitcher this season, holding the Bulldogs to two runs on six hits over five innings. He struck out three and walked none. Relievers Geofferey Birkemeier and Ryan Vruggink combined to get the final six outs for the Wonder Boys. Austin Hilton (3-5) took the loss on the mound for SWOSU. He allowed three runs, one of which was earned, on five hits in one and two-thirds innings.]]>
