Arkansas Tech University won two of its three baseball games at the season-opening Houston Winter Invitational Friday through Sunday at Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros.
The Wonder Boys (2-1) will face Union University for a 2 p.m. contest in Jackson, Tenn., on Tuesday, Feb. 5. Find live coverage on www.arkansastechsports.com.
Game One: Tarleton State 8, Arkansas Tech 5
Tarleton State University slugged its way to an 8-5 victory over Arkansas Tech on Friday.
Seven of the Texans’ nine base hits went for extra bases. Abel Osoria and Colby Seltzer both hit a home run and a double. Zach Mesa was 2-for-4 with a triple and three runs batted in.
Dylan McDearmon, Harry Gard, Korey Thompson and Michael Post recorded two hits apiece for the Wonder Boys.
Tarleton State reliever Brian Archibald (1-0) scattered seven hits over four and two-thirds innings to earn the win.
Arkansas Tech starting pitcher Hayes Cox (0-1) was charged with five runs on four hits. He worked two and one-third innings.
Game Two: Arkansas Tech 10, St. Mary’s 6
Arkansas Tech’s Tristan Thomas went 3-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBIs to lead the Wonder Boys to a 10-6 win over St. Mary’s University on Saturday.
Britt Stroth drove in three runs for Arkansas Tech.
Isaac Hale (1-0) started on the mound for the Wonder Boys and limited the Rattlers to two runs on two hits. He pitched the first six innings.
ATU relievers Anthony Race, Ty Johnson, Michael Mueller and Nolan Withrow combined to get the final nine outs.
St. Mary’s starting pitcher Branson Hall (0-1) surrendered five runs, four of which were earned, in three innings.
Game Three: Arkansas Tech 13, Texas A&M-Kingsville 11
Arkansas Tech battled back from a nine-run deficit to defeat Texas A&M University-Kingsville 13-11 on Sunday.
The Javelinas led 11-2 going to the bottom of the seventh inning. The Wonder Boys took advantage of two Texas A&M-Kingsville errors during the last of the seventh and pushed across five runs to pull within 11-7.
The comeback was completed during the bottom of the eighth inning when the Javelina bullpen came fully unraveled. TAMU-Kingsville pitchers issued four wild pitches, three walks, two hit batsmen and a balk to gift wrap six runs and a 13-11 lead for Arkansas Tech.
Withrow pitched a scoreless top of the ninth to earn his first save of the season for the Wonder Boys.
ATU reliever Mason Griffin (1-0) struck out two while pitching a scoreless top of the eighth inning to earn the win.
TAMU-Kingsville reliever Bryce Galvan (0-1) was charged with two runs in one-third of an inning.
Stroth and Thomas registered three hits apiece for the Wonder Boys.
