ENID, Okla. – Arkansas-Monticello set Great American Conference Baseball Championship single-game records for hits and runs in beating the second-seeded Southwestern Oklahoma State Bulldogs, 19-7, on Saturday from David Allen Memorial Ballpark.
The Boll Weevils (30-18) got to the Bulldogs’ ace, Shane Martin early and often. Martin, a First-Team All-GAC pitcher who entered the week tied for the national lead in wins, gave up eight hits and six earned runs in only 4.1 innings of work – his shortest outing of the year. In his previous six starts - spanning 51.0 innings - he had allowed only seven earned runs.
Box Score
UAM, in its first conference tournament appearance since 2005, scored three unearned runs in the second inning then added its fourth run on a lead-off home run by Taylor Eaves one inning later. The home run represented the first allowed by Martin this year.
Southwestern Oklahoma State (31-15) tied the game at four in its half of the third inning. Catcher Bryce Stout tripled home three runs off starter Logan Johnson.
Arkansas-Monticello blew the game wide open with a seven-run tally in the fifth inning. The Boll Weevils recorded six hits in the inning and sent 11 men to the plate. Danny Loya delivered a two-run single as part of the rally.
After SWOSU pulled to within an 11-6 deficit following a home run by Chris Faulkner, the Boll Weevils turned to Kade Garlington. The junior provided 5.0 innings of one-run, five-hit baseball to claim this victory. He improved to 3-0 on the season.
The Boll Weevils added eight runs over the final three innings. The 19 runs and 20 hits established GAC Championship single-game highs.
With the victory, the Boll Weevils reached the 30-win for just the third time in program history, and for the first time since going 34-25 in 2005. The loss represented just the fourth setback in the last 24 games for the Bulldogs.
The fifth-seeded Boll Weevils advance to face the winner of Arkansas Tech and Henderson State at 7:00 p.m. Saturday. Southwestern Oklahoma State will take on Harding at noon in a loser’s bracket contest.