JOPLIN, Mo. - The No. 3-seed Arkansas Tech baseball team erased an early four-run deficit and tied the score in the bottom of the seventh before ultimately falling to No. 6-seed Arkansas-Monticello, 11-9, in the opening round of the 2024 NCAA Division II Baseball Central Region Tournament on Thursday afternoon.
Both teams got their offensive attacks going in the first inning by manufacturing a run. UAM scored their run on a sacrifice fly while the Wonder Boys plated their run on a RBI groundout by Logan Schwenke.
In the top of the second, UAM broke the early tie with a two-run home run. That blast was the first of eight combined homers hit between the two teams. Unfortunately, the next two homers in the game were hit by Boll Weevils in the top of the third and powered them to the aforementioned four-run lead.
The Wonder Boys punched back in their half of the third, however, and pulled within a run as Nick Jones hammered a three-run home run out to right field. Prior to Jones' homer, Cole Dawson has led the inning off with a single up the middle and two batters later, Grant Jones also singled up the middle.
UAM would score a pair of runs in the next half inning to take a 7-4 lead. In the bottom of the fifth, Markos Cabranes scored on a wild pitch with two outs to make good on his one-out triple earlier in the inning.
Tech would quickly get back to the plate after Grant Shahan struck out the side in the top of the fifth. That momentum carried over right away as Christian Olea hit a leadoff home run out to left field to once again bring the Wonder Boys within a run.
The Boll Weevils got that run back in the top of the seventh with a leadoff home run of their own. In the bottom of the seventh, the Wonder Boys were in danger of being retired in order after a pair of strikeouts to start the inning, but G. Jones extended the frame with an infield single to shortstop.
That passed the proverbial baton to Logan Schwenke who promptly came up with a clutch hit as he crushed an opposite field home run out to right field to tie the score at eight-all.
Unfortunately, the Boll Weevils had the answer again in the next half inning and got a two-out single up the middle to score the go-ahead run. UAM then tacked on two more runs of insurance in the top of the ninth with their fifth home run of the game.
The Wonder Boys would mount a bit of rally in the bottom of the ninth and plated a run after pinch-hitter Tyler Sardelli hit a RBI single to score Brandon Bunton, who led the inning off with a hit-by-pitch. Unfortunately, after Sardelli's hit, the Wonder Boys were then retired in consecutive at-bats to end the game.
The Wonder Boys will now face elimination from the NCAA Division II Baseball Central Region Tournament on Friday afternoon. Their opponent will be the loser of the game between No. 2-seed Missouri Southern and No. 7-seed Harding. First-pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
