Saturday afternoon at Rab Rodgers Field left the Ouachita Tigers with a series victory over Arkansas Tech, splitting Saturday’s doubleheader after winning Friday’s game with an eight run rally in the seventh inning. They lost the first game in a pitcher’s duel by a score of 2-1, before Luis De Jesus turned in a three-hit shutout on the mound in a 5-0 Tiger win.
The first game of the afternoon was a pitching duel between Ouachita’s Josh Everett and Tech’s Ryan Taylor.
Everett threw a complete game, recording four strikeouts, but gave up two runs throughout the game, which ended up being enough for the Wonder Boys. Taylor took the win, throwing 8.2 innings and recording two strikeouts. He gave up a single run to the Tigers (19-19-1, 11-13 GAC) while also giving up three walks.
Arkansas Tech (27-16, 14-10 GAC) struck first, when a fourth inning double from Johnathan Finnegan scored a runner and gave the Wonder Boys a 1-0 lead. They came out in the fifth and stretched their lead another run, when a single to center allowed another runner to cross the plate.
The only run of the game for the Tigers came in the sixth, when Duncan Collins hit a sac fly to left field, allowing Jace Melby to score from third. The Tigers made some noise in the bottom of the ninth, putting runners on first and second, but weren’t able to capitalize.
The Tigers struck first in the second game of the afternoon, with three runs, coming on a 2 RBI triple from Tyler Faught that scored Landon Moore and Will Wallace. Keegan Ghidotti followed up Faught’s triple with an RBI single that scored Faught and gave Ouachita a 3-0 lead after two innings.
In the fifth, the Tigers added to their lead with one run on an RBI single from Duncan Collins that scored Parker Norris, followed by a sacrifice fly from Ghidotti that scored Landon Flax. The two runs gave Ouachita a 5-0 lead after five innings.
Luis De Jesus kept Tech scoreless the rest of the way, closing out a complete game shutout of the Wonder Boys in which he only gave up three hits.
The Tigers return to action from Rab Rodgers Field on Tuesday, when they host No. 1 ranked Delta State University. They will play a single nine inning game on Tuesday and Wednesday, both of which are scheduled for 3 p.m. starts.
