CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL | ENID, Okla. – Day two of the 2018 Great American Conference Baseball Championship wrapped up with Oklahoma Baptist defeating Arkansas Tech 12-5 at David Allen Memorial Ballpark to emerge as final undefeated team at the tournament. Josh Timms led the offensive attack for the Bison as the senior went 3-for-4 with two home runs and five RBI.
 
The Bison (30-15) scored 11 of 12 runs with two outs and capitalized on five errors by the Wonder Boy (28-22) defense. They collected six two-out hits over the course of the contest.
 
A critical two-out error by Tech shortstop Korey Thompson in the third helped the Bison kick start a six-run inning. PJ Harris lifted a two-run double down the left-field line and Timms added a three-run home run off ATU starter Layton Robinson as Oklahoma Baptist took a 6-0 lead.
 
The Wonder Boys answered back in the next half inning as they worked Fowler for four walks and a base hit to score a run. The senior stranded the bases loaded as he struck out Harry Gard.
 
Cody Wescott’s solo home run cut the Bison lead to 6-2 on a hard-hit ball that stayed just inside the left field foul pole. After Mark Vaughn scored Gard on a base hit through the left side in the seventh, Wescott continued to find success at the plate as the fifth-year senior hit his third home run of the tournament to pull the Wonder Boys to within one, 6-5.
 
Undeterred, Oklahoma Baptist countered with yet another two-out rally to extend its lead to 10-5. A Matt Poulin double scored two before Timms hit his second home run of the night, this one a two-run shot that bounced off the top of the brick wall before leaving the yard.
 
The Bison took advantage of ATU’s fifth error of the game in the bottom of the eighth, as they tacked on two more runs to make it 12-5.
 
Caleb Bly closed the door for the Bison as he pitched 2.0 scoreless innings. He struck out three allowed only one base runner. Zach Fowler battled through 6.2 innings to earn the win. He picked up second win against the Wonder Boys this season as he held them to four earned runs on nine hits, striking out four and walking five.
 
With the loss, Arkansas Tech draws an elimination contest with Southwestern Oklahoma State at noon on Monday. Oklahoma Baptist will then play the winner of that game at 7 p.m.