Box Score (html)
WEATHERFORD, Okla. – SWOSU Baseball was limited to four hits, yet still managed to leave 10 runners on base in a 5-3 setback against Arkansas Tech on Friday afternoon. The win gives Tech a 1-0 advantage in the Great American Conference Tournament best-of-three series, meaning SWOSU must defeat the Wonder Boys twice on Saturday to advance to Arkadelphia, Arkansas for the conclusion of the tournament next weekend.
SWOSU starting pitcher
Jon Chidester, the reigning GAC Pitcher of the Week, allowed six hits and four runs – three earned – in 7.2 innings of work, but took the loss and falls to 8-5 on the year. Chidester struck out seven ATU batters, just a few weeks after setting a career high against the Wonder Boys with 14 strikeouts.
Chidester had two strikeouts in each of the first two innings, but ATU got on the board with an RBI single in the top of the second. SWOSU had an answer, however, as
Zach Barton singled and came around to score on a sacrifice fly from
Trent Troxell with one out in the inning. ATU got a ground-rule double to lead off the fourth inning and scored their second run on an RBI groundout two batters later, but SWOSU again answered with an RBI double from Barton in the fifth that knotted the score at 2-2.
Haden Houska made several strong plays in the field, recording five assists in the game, but a fielding error by the SWOSU shortstop to open the top of the sixth inning started an ATU rally. The Wonder Boys followed the error with a single and a two-run triple to take a 4-2 lead in the sixth.
SWOSU managed just one hit in the final four frames, but it was in the midst of a big rally in the eighth. With Barton standing on first after a walk,
Joel Baxley came through with a single to right that put runners at the corners with one down.
CJ Faddis then drew a walk to load the bases and chase ATU starter Zach Skelton after 7.2 innings. Houska was hit by the third pitch of ATU reliever Ryan Vruggink to get SWOSU within one, but Vruggink then struck out
Tanner Dearman to end the threat with the bases juiced.
Arkansas Tech manufactured one run of insurance in the ninth on a double steal with runners at first and third. The throw from Faddis to Baxley at the plate appeared to be on time, but the home plate umpire disagreed and ruled the runner safe, giving ATU a 5-3 lead. The run would not matter, however, as Vruggink struck out the SWOSU side in the bottom of the ninth to end the game.
The defeat drops SWOSU to 33-14 on the year, but more importantly has the Bulldogs on the brink of elimination from the Great American Conference Tournament heading into Saturday's second game of the series. First pitch at the Athletic Complex is slated for 1:00 pm, with a potential third and deciding game to follow if the Bulldogs are victorious in the opener.
