Eighth-seeded Arkansas Tech University defeated No. 1 seed Southwestern Oklahoma State University 13-6 in Weatherford, Okla., on Saturday to complete a series sweep and eliminate the regular season 2016 Great American Conference baseball champions from the 2016 GAC Tournament.
With the two-game sweep of the Bulldogs, the Wonder Boys (23-29) advance to the four-team GAC Tournament finals at Clyde Berry Field in Arkadelphia Thursday, May 12, through Saturday, May 14.
Arkansas Tech will face Henderson State University at 1 p.m. Thursday.
SWOSU (33-15) led 6-5 after six innings on Saturday, but the final three innings belonged to Arkansas Tech.
The Wonder Boys took the lead for good on a Seth Wheeler two-run single with two out in the top of the seventh inning. Marcus Wilson followed with a three-run home run to stake Arkansas Tech to a 10-6 edge.
Tech’s bullpen brought it home from there. Branden Bohuslav (3-4) provided the Wonder Boys with two and one-third innings of scoreless relief before Ryan Vruggink came on to get the final three outs.
Wilson finished 3-for-6 with four runs scored and four runs batted in. Tech’s Collin O’Neil went 3-for-6 with two RBIs, while Kaleb Warden, Parker O’Dell and Connor Brady added two hits apiece. One of Warden’s hits was a solo home run in the first inning.
SWOSU relief pitcher Jeremy Smith (2-2) absorbed the loss. He was charged with five runs, three of which were earned, on three hits in one and one-third innings.
