Ouachita Baptist rapped out a season-high 18 base hits and eliminated the Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys from the 2012 Great American Conference Tournament with a 13-7 win at David Allen Memorial Ballpark in Enid, Okla., on Sunday evening.
The Tigers (28-25) broke open a scoreless game with seven runs on eight hits in the top of the second inning. They never relinquished the lead as they advanced to face Southeastern Oklahoma State late Sunday night with a berth in Monday’s championship round on the line.
Arkansas Tech (26-27) notched 14 base hits of its own and pulled as close as 10-7 in the bottom of the eighth inning. The Wonder Boys got the potential tying run to the plate in that frame, but Zac Treece got Chris Reese to fly out to right field to end the inning.
Ouachita Baptist tacked on three insurance runs in the top of the ninth as it improved to 4-1 against Arkansas Tech this season.
Tiger reliever Beau Martin (2-0) earned the win. He pitched four and one-third innings and allowed two runs on seven hits.
Treece got the final nine outs for his seventh save of the season. He held the Wonder Boys to one unearned run over three innings.
Tech starting pitcher Zak Anstine (6-2) was knocked out after one and one-third innings. Cody Hatman, Todd Immel, Ethan Crocker and Gino Spratley pitched in relief for the Wonder Boys.
Tom Ward led the Ouachita attack. He went 4-for-5 with a home run, two doubles and two runs batted in.
Cesar Abreu continued his late-season tear for Arkansas Tech with a 3-for-3 game. He drove in four runs. Abreu ended the season on a seven-game hitting streak.
Nate Wilder went 3-for-4 for the Wonder Boys. Reese and Thomas Biocic added two hits each.
Arkansas Tech ended its baseball season with a postseason berth for the third consecutive year. It marks the first time since 1997-99 that the Wonder Boys have qualified for the baseball postseason three straight years.
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