RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – A season ago, Arkansas Tech knocked out Oklahoma Baptist in the Great American Conference Tournament. This time around, it was the Bison that came out on top.
During Saturday's doubleheader at Baswell Field, the Wonder Boys claimed game two 13-6 before the Bison rolled ATU 13-5 in the series-deciding game. Next week, on May 11, OBU will face Ouachita at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale.
GAME ONE
Arkansas Tech had two frames, the third and eighth, in which it scored five runs each.
Before those innings, though, it was the Bison that got ahead, just like in Friday's game.
The game started with two walks and a hit-by-pitch by Tech pitcher Emiliano Mata. OBU followed with a pair of sacrifice flies from
Kade Self and
Alex Schroeder which scored
Isiah Lissade and
Jayden Shafer.
Two innings later, OBU doubled its run count and attained a 4-1 advantage.
Dan Pruitt singled to left center and scored Lissade before Schroeder drove in Pruitt with another one-bagger.
ATU then seized command in the home half of the third and fourth frames. Nick Jones and Logan Schwanke each collected RBI doubles in the third to highlight Tech's efforts. There was also an RBI single from Sawyer Duddleston. After three, it was 6-4 Wonder Boys.
Then in the fourth, a fielder's choice followed by an infield throwing error allowed two to score.
Trailing by four, OBU did have opportunities to come back and tie.
Austin Gonzales helped the cause with a two-out, two-run double in the sixth. Plus, the Bison had base runners in the seventh and eighth, three to be exact, but couldn't bring them in.
Arkansas Tech then sealed the deal with five more runs in the eighth which included a bases-clearing double by Jones.
GAME TWO
Ryan Turbeville was sensational in the finale which helped the Bison win in convincing fashion. He tied his season high with seven innings pitched and he fanned 10, a season-high.
With that, the Bison bats backed him up.
In the first, the Wonder Boys' defense was not up to par and it helped OBU attain a 4-0 lead. ATU had three errors and after a Schroeder single through the left side, a misplayed ball in left helped the Bison clear the bases. Furrey also provided a sac-fly lineout for the team's fourth run.
The Wonder Boys did apply some pressure after that. In the bottom of the fourth and trailing 7-1, ATU loaded the bases. While the hosts did score two, Turbeville struck out one before a 6-4-3 double play squashed the home team's chances of scoring more.
That momentum-shifting play went right into the hands of the Bison the rest of the way.
Fifth-inning action saw
Brandon Brewer smash a double off the left-field wall which scored a run. And then two batters later, Lissade's fielder's choice to short, pushed Brewer across home.
The game was then sealed in the sixth. Furrey and
Rafael Gutierrez delivered clutch, two-out, run-scoring hits and extended the lead to 12-3.
OBU's final run came off the bat of Pruitt who hit is 44th career homer in the ninth. He ended up going 3-for-5 with four runs scored while Furrey posted a 4-for-5 line and two RBI.
As it stands right now, the Bison will play Ouachita on May 11 at 5 p.m. at Arvest Ballpark. Stay tuned for more info.
