SHAWNEE, Okla. – The Arkansas Tech baseball team finished their first Great American Conference series of the season on Sunday with a doubleheader at Oklahoma Baptist. Tech would fall in both ends of the twin-bill as Oklahoma Baptist secured the series sweep.
GAME ONE
In the opener, Oklahoma Baptist jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead with a run in the bottom of the first, but the Wonder Boys responded with the tying run in the top of the second on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Sawyer Duddleston.
The Bison regained the lead in their half of the second with a single run scoring on a fielder's choice. Two innings later, Oklahoma Baptist was up 6-1 after scoring twice in the third and fourth innings. The Wonder Boys got one of those runs back in the top of the fifth on the strength of a solo home run to left field by Markos Cabranes.
In the seventh, the Wonder Boys pulled within a run as they scored three runs on three hits. That inning started with Duddleston drawing a walk. Cabranes followed with a single through the left side. Both Duddleston and Cabranes would advance 90-feet during the next at-bat on a wild pitch. After an out was made, Duddleston scored on a passed ball. Cabranes scored soon thereafter on a wild pitch.
Grant Jones then drew a walk and promptly went to second on another wild pitch. Two batters after Jones' walk, Nick Jones singled up the middle to drive in G. Jones. A single by Keaton Ranallo and a hit-by-pitch to Logan Schwenke loaded the bases for the Wonder Boys, but the Bison were able to escape the inning without further damage.
In the top of the eighth, the Wonder Boys threatened again with the potential tying run at third with no outs, but were held off the board as the Bison got an inning-ending double play to preserve their lead.
After dancing out of that jam, the Bison scored a run of insurance in the bottom of the eighth and then retired the side in order to end the first game of the day.