Arkansas Tech University earned a Great American Conference series victory for the second time in the last three weekends by taking 2-of-3 games from East Central University at Tech Field in Russellville on Friday and Saturday.
The Wonder Boys (12-16 overall, 6-9 GAC) will venture to Durant, Okla., for a three-game GAC series against Southeastern Oklahoma State University on Friday, March 25, and Saturday, March 26.
Game One: ECU 9, Tech 6
East Central rallied for three runs in the top of the seventh inning and went on to a 9-6 victory over Arkansas Tech in the series opener on Friday afternoon.
A pair of bases-loaded walks sandwiched around an run-scoring single by Thomas McGarry allowed the Tigers to break a 6-6 tie and set what proved to be the final score.
ECU relief pitcher Shae Edmonds (3-2) closed the deal by retiring the Wonder Boys without incident in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings. Edmonds pitched six scoreless innings in all. He limited Tech to two hits while striking out four.
Mark Vaughn went 3-for-4 with a home run, Josh Watkins drove in two runs and Blake King had two hits for the Wonder Boys.
Tech starting pitcher Zach Skelton (2-3) was tagged with the loss on the mound. He surrendered nine runs on nine hits in six innings. Skelton recorded eight strikeouts.
Game Two: Tech 9, ECU 7
Arkansas Tech rapped out 12 base hits and took advantage of four East Central errors to defeat the Tigers 9-7 in the first game of a Saturday doubleheader.
Vaughn went 3-for-5 with a run batted in and a run scored for the Wonder Boys, while hitters six through nine in the Tech order — Collin O’Neil, Connor Brady, Blake King and Seth Wheeler — contributed two hits apiece. O’Neil and King had two RBIs apiece.
Tech relief pitcher Geoffrey Birkemeier (3-1) scattered six hits over three and two-thirds innings. He allowed one run.
Brandon Bohuslav and Jesse Harbin combined to get the final nine outs for the Wonder Boys. Harbin was credited with his seventh save of the season.
ECU starter Brandon Dusenberry (0-2) was charged with six runs, five of which were earned, on nine hits in five innings.
Riley Roberts went 4-for-5 with two runs scored for the Tigers.
Game Three: Tech 3, ECU 0
Arkansas Tech’s Trent Armstrong pitched a shutout to deliver a 3-0 win over East Central in the series finale on Saturday.
Armstrong (2-4) limited the Tigers to four hits while striking out five over seven innings. He needed just 80 pitches to go the distance.
Wheeler and Marcus Wilson both drove in a run for the Wonder Boys. Wheeler scored Tech’s other run on an ECU throwing error.
Kyle Britt (2-3) pitched a complete game for the Tigers. He allowed three runs, two of which were earned, on five hits.
