Game One: Arkansas Tech 5, SAU 0 Aaron Johnson tossed a five-hit shutout to lead Arkansas Tech to a 5-0 victory over Southern Arkansas in an elimination game on Saturday afternoon. Johnson (6-3) struck out seven Muleriders and threw 116 pitches in his first complete game of the season. The game was scoreless after seven innings. Momentum turned in Arkansas Tech’s favor on the final play of the top of the eighth inning. With one out and the bases loaded, SAU’s Carver Rademacher lifted a fly ball to center field. Sage Boehner made the catch for out number two as the runners tagged and prepared to advance from every base. Boehner’s throw to the infield was cut off by shortstop James Sharp, who delivered a relay throw to third base to cut down Trevor Rucker for the third out of the inning. The home plate umpire ruled that Rucker was tagged out before William Townsend touched home plate, which meant that the game remained scoreless heading to the bottom of the eighth inning. Sharp sparked the decisive rally with a single on the first pitch in the last of the eighth. A single by Chance Scamardo and a walk to Patrick Castleberry allowed Arkansas Tech to load the bases. Zac Johnson came up with two outs and delivered a two-run single that put the Wonder Boys in front 2-0. Jay Johnson followed with a two-RBI double and Keenan Jumper drove in a run with an RBI single to make it 5-0. Johnson finished his complete game victory by retiring the Muleriders without incident in the top of the ninth. Starting pitcher Yumezo Densaki (5-4) took the loss for Southern Arkansas. He allowed one run on eight hits over seven innings. The Muleriders finished their 2014 season with a 39-19 overall record. Game Two: MSU-Mankato 5, Arkansas Tech 2 Three Arkansas Tech errors opened the door for three unearned runs by Minnesota State-Mankato and a 5-2 Mavericks’ victory over Arkansas Tech in Saturday’s nightcap. Minnesota State-Mankato took the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth inning on Max Waletich’s RBI single. The Mavericks went in front 2-1. Mike Andries hit a two-run home run one inning later to provide Minnesota State-Mankato with a pair of insurance runs. Parker Sullivan made it 5-1 later in the sixth inning when he came home on an Arkansas Tech error. The Wonder Boys set what proved to be the final score on an RBI double by Kris Ayers in the top of the eighth inning. Arkansas Tech had taken a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Zac Johnson delivered an RBI single. Trent Armstrong (7-1) took the loss on the mound. The Wonder Boys’ starting pitcher surrendered five runs, two of which were earned, on seven hits over five and two-thirds innings. MSU-Mankato starting pitcher Mathias Butala (5-2) scattered eight hits over eight innings and limited Arkansas Tech to two runs. Matt Geislinger retired Arkansas Tech in order in the top of the ninth for his fifth save of the season.]]>
