Great American Conference-leading University of Arkansas-Monticello took two of three baseball games from Arkansas Tech University during a league series at Tech Field in Russellville on Friday and Saturday.
The Boll Weevils (22-8 overall, 14-4 GAC) maintained sole possession of first place in the GAC baseball standings by defeating the Wonder Boys 7-5 and 6-2 in the first two games of the series.
Arkansas Tech (15-21, 8-13) bounced back to win the series finale 8-1.
The Wonder Boys will visit Ouachita Baptist University for a non-conference game at Rab Rodgers Field in Arkadelphia on Tuesday, April 5. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Game One: UAM 7, Tech 5
UA-Monticello held off a comeback bid by Arkansas Tech in the bottom of the ninth inning to defeat the Wonder Boys 7-5 on Friday night.
Trailing 7-2, Arkansas Tech got back in the game during its final at-bat behind a solo home run from Josh Watkins, a sacrifice fly by Seth Wheeler and a run-scoring single off the bat of Marcus Wilson.
The Wonder Boys brought the potential tying run to the plate, but Boll Weevil reliever Dawson Moser got the strikeout he needed to end the game and earn his first save of 2016.
UAM starter Zach McKnight (5-0) limited Tech to two unearned runs on five hits over seven innings.
Zach Skelton (2-5) started on the mound for the Wonder Boys and allowed four runs on five hits in five and two-thirds innings.
Game Two: UAM 6, Tech 2
Corey Wood’s grand slam in the top of the eighth inning was the difference in a 6-2 UA-Monticello win over Arkansas Tech in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader.
With two outs and the bases loaded, Wood sent the first pitch he saw over the center field fence to break a 2-2 tie. It was his second home run of the game.
Boll Weevil starting pitcher Braden Chambers (6-0) completed his day’s work by retiring the Wonder Boys without incident in the last of the eighth. Ben Aldridge came out of the bullpen to get the final three outs for UAM.
Arkansas Tech reliever Brandon Bohuslav (1-4) surrendered two runs on one hit in one and one-third innings.
Watkins drove in both of the Wonder Boys’ runs.
Game Three: Tech 8, UAM 1
Arkansas Tech’s Trent Armstrong pitched a complete game and the Wonder Boys took the series finale 8-1 over UA-Monticello on Saturday afternoon.
Armstrong (4-5) scattered nine hits over seven innings. He limited the Weevils to one run while striking out eight and walking none.
Arkansas Tech took control of the game with a seven-run outburst in the bottom of the second inning. Wheeler’s two-run single, Watkins’ grand slam and Collin O’Neil’s RBI triple staked the Wonder Boys to a 7-0 lead. Dylan McDearmon tacked on another run with an RBI fielder’s choice one inning later.
UAM’s lone run came on a home run by Brian Ray in the top of the fourth inning.
Grant Black (2-4) was the losing pitcher. Tech tagged him for six runs on seven hits in one and one-third innings.
