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WONDER BOYS SPLIT ROAD DOUBLEHEADER AT WEST FLORIDA
PENSACOLA,
Florida –
Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys Baseball opened its Spring
Break trip to the Sunshine State by splitting a
doubleheader here Tuesday with West Florida at Jim
Spooner Field in Pelican Park.
Tech dropped the opener, 3-0 (Box
Score), but came back to post a 2-0 (Box
Score) shutout in the nightcap to earn the split.
The shutout in the second game was just the second of
the season for the Wonder Boys.
With the doubleheader split, Tech moves its record to
16-19 on the season, while UWF is now 20-14 on the year.
In the first game, the Argonauts broke open a scoreless
game in the bottom of the third inning as they plated
three runs on two hits against senior Tyler Mattox
(Conway, Ark.). UWF drove in its runs with a double, a
triple and a groundout.
The three runs would be more than enough for Dustin
Brenton (3-1) tossed a complete game shutout as he
scattered six hits over his seven innings of action. He
also finished the game with one walk and five
strikeouts.
Tech had chances to score in both the fourth and fifth
innings.
In the fourth inning, the Wonder Boys put runners in
scoring position on a walk to senior designated hitter
Tony Sanchez (Mesquite, Texas) and singles by junior
rightfielder Clint Stroud (Bonham, Texas) and
senior first baseman Robbie Hohler (Searcy,
Ark.), but UWF got out of the jam as Sanchez was thrown
out at the plate trying to score on Hohler’s single.
Tech had another opportunity to score in the fifth
inning as they put runners on first and third with two
outs, before Brenton got out of the jam by inducing
senior second baseman Josh Holloway (Booneville,
Ark.) to ground out to end the inning.
Mattox (2-6) took the loss on the mound for
the Wonder Boys as he pitched three innings and allowed
three hits and three runs, while walking two and
striking out two. Sophomore lefthander Blaine Sims
(Scott, Ark.) pitched the final three innings, allowing
no hits and no runs, while walking one and striking out
two.
For the game, Tech outhit the Argos, 6-2, but
left six runners stranded. UWF left two runners on base
in the win.
Junior leftfielder Jeremy Houchin
(Springdale, Ark.) led Tech’s offense with two hits,
while Hohler, Stroud, Holloway and junior centerfielder
Chad Wynn (Bono, Ark.) each had a hit.
In the nightcap, the Wonder Boys broke a nine
inning scoreless drought in the second inning as they
plated a run on a sacrifice fly by junior designated
hitter Matt Presson (Sherwood, Ark.). Presson’s
sacrifice fly scored junior first baseman Nick
Shoptaw (Benton, Ark.), who reached on a one-out
single.
Tech added to its run total in the fifth
inning as they took advantage of a UWF error to score an
unearned run to push in front, 2-0.
The two run cushion would be enough for
redshirt freshman Cody Hatman (Roland, Okla.) to
pick up his second win this season.
Hatman (2-0) pitched four innings and allowed
four hits and no runs, while walking two and striking
out four. Tech’s bullpen contingent of senior Barrett
Davis (North Little Rock) and junior Josh
Floriani (Malvern, Ark.), who earned his fifth save
of the season, pitched the final three innings and
allowed just one hit combined.
UWF had several chances to score in the
nightcap as they had runners on third base in the
second, fourth and fifth innings, but failed to advance
any of them home. For the game, UWF, who outhit Tech,
5-3, left eight runners stranded on base. Tech stranded
four runners on base in the win.
Eric Nixol (0-1) took the loss for the Argos
as he pitched 4.1 innings and allowed three hits and two
runs (one earned run), while walking three and striking
out four.
In addition to Shoptow’s single, the other two
Tech hits were picked up by Holloway and junior
leftfielder Joe Walton (Inola, Okla.). UWF was
paced offensively by two hits apiece from Lee Huggins
and Jack Materne.
The teams will conclude the three-game series
with a single nine inning game on Wednesday. First pitch
is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Jim Spooner Field in Pelican
Park.
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Tech Athletics -- |