HOT SPRINGS, Arkansas - East Central became just the second No. 8 seed to win two games at the Great American Conference Baseball Championships as the Tigers defeated Southern Arkansas to reach the final of Bracket #1. Arkansas Tech won its third-straight game against Harding to advance to the Bracket #2 final. Southeastern Oklahoma State and Northwestern Oklahoma State stayed alive by winning elimination games
Bracket 2, Game 4 - No. 2 Arkansas Tech 6, No. 3 Harding 4 || Box Score ||
The No. 2-seed Arkansas Tech baseball team picked up needed insurance in the bottom of the eighth and held off No. 3-seeded Harding in the ninth on Friday night for a 6-4 win.
The victory advanced the Wonder Boys to the finals of bracket two where they await the winner of an elimination game between Harding and No. 6-seed Northwestern Oklahoma. That game will take place on Saturday afternoon with a 1 p.m. start time and it will be the second game between Harding and NWOSU as the two met in the opening game on Thursday. Harding won that initial tournament meeting 4-2.
Whomever emerges as Tech's opponent will have a few hours before taking the field again for a scheduled 8 p.m. start.
In Friday night's game, the Wonder Boys were the first to strike with a single run in the bottom of the first inning. That run came as part of a two-out rally that saw Tyler Sardelli double the other way down the left field line. He then scored in the next at-bat as Kirby Jenkins singled up the middle.
That first run of the game that was scored by Tech could have just as easily been scored by Harding as they got a leadoff single to start the game, but that was quickly erased on a ground ball double play induced by Wonder Boys' starter Daniel Hutchison.
Hutch would go on to pitch 7.0 innings en route to his ninth win of the season. In his time on the mound, Hutchison scattered three hits, allowed two runs, walked three, hit a batter and struck out four.
Full Arkansas Tech Recap
Harding Recap
Bracket 1, Game 4 - No. 8 East Central 14, No. 5 Southern Arkansas 4 (7) || Box Score ||
East Central continued its impressive postseason run Friday, delivering a dominant 14-4 run-rule victory over No. 5 Southern Arkansas in the winner's bracket at Majestic Park. With the win, the Tigers advance to Saturday in prime position, needing just one more victory to punch their ticket to the GAC Championship series.
The win marks ECU's first-ever back-to-back victories in the GAC Championship Tournament, continuing a historic run for the program.
ECU wasted no time responding after Southern Arkansas struck first with a solo home run in the second inning. The Tigers erupted in the fourth, putting together a massive offensive frame that completely shifted the momentum.
Logan Jeske got things started with an RBI bunt single, while Mason Shimkus and Cooper McCage followed with run-scoring hits. A sacrifice fly from Donovan Noble extended the lead before Ryan Strickland delivered the biggest blow of the inning, a three-run home run to right field, to cap off an eight-run surge and give ECU an 8-1 advantage.
Full East Central Recap
Southern Arkansas Recap
Bracket 2, Game 3 - #No. 6 Northwestern Oklahoma State 6, No. 7 Ouachita Baptist 1 [Ouachita Baptist Eliminated] || Box Score |||
Northwestern Oklahoma State baseball team defeated Ouachita Baptist, 6-1, on the second day of the Great American Conference tournament to secure their first ever victory in the GAC baseball tournament.
The Rangers and Tigers grappled for momentum at the start of the game with only one combined hit through two innings, with the Rangers yanking it away in the bottom of the third off back-to-back singles from Brody Harris and Alex Dabrowski to put runners at the corners. Blake Mattern got hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Chase Gordon brought Harris home on a sacrifice fly to give the Rangers an early 1-0 lead. The Rangers weren't done yet, as Cole Barton smashed a single to right center to put two more runs on the board and extend Northwestern's lead to 3-0.
Barton led the Rangers in hits with three, and led in RBI with three. Logan Sandoval recorded four strikeouts through seven innings of work for his ninth win of the season. .
Full Northwestern Oklahoma State Recap
Ouachita Baptist Recap
Bracket 1, Game 3 - No. 4 Southeastern Oklahoma State 6, No. 1 Arkansas-Monticello 5 [Arkansas-Monticello Eliminated] || Box Score |||
JJ Bush connected on a go-ahead double in the top of the ninth inning and Carson Abbott shut the door in the bottom half as Southeastern survived its first elimination game by sending home top-seeded Arkansas-Monticello with a 6-5 win on Friday morning in the Great American Conference Tournament in Hot Spring, Ark.
The win lifts the Savage Storm to 29-20 on the season and keeps its postseason alive heading into another elimination game on Saturday morning at 9:30 a.m. versus the loser between East Central and Southern Arkansas which takes place on Friday afternoon.
Carter Olson collected three hits on the day, including his 20th home run of the season, while Bush, Jax Heid, and Isaac Villa each logged a pair of hits. Ryan Kirk, Austin Parker, Logan Rose, and Alex Showalter each added a hit as well. Bush finished the game with three RBI, while Kirk, Olson, and Parker each plated one.
Full Southeastern Oklahoma State Recap
Arkansas-Monticello Recap