A monstrous fifth inning Saturday afternoon pushed the University of Arkansas at Monticello past a rival and into the Great American Conference semifinals.
The UAM baseball team defeated Southern Arkansas 18-7 in eight innings in a GAC tournament elimination game at David Allen Ballpark in Enid, Oklahoma.
The game was tied at 2 entering the fifth inning. No. 3-seed UAM (32-20) had not led until loading the bases in the top of the fifth, at which point designated hitter Camden Tanner drew a walk to break the tie.
That one-out walk scored the first of 9 runs in the inning. After shortstop Aidan Garrett singled, center fielder Will Owens reached on a fielder’s choice with No. 2-seed SAU (31-21) failing to turn the inning-ending double play, allowing a run to score and extend the UAM lead to 5-2.
An RBI single by first baseman Cade Cancilla preceded the two biggest hits of the half-inning: a 2-RBI single by left fielder Kirk Woolf and a 3-run home run by catcher Chaz Poppy to make it 11-2.
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The Muleriders went through four pitchers in the half inning. Starter Josh Phillips (0-2) left the mound after Woolf and Poppy led off with singles, though he remained in the lineup as the designated hitter.
Relief pitcher Asher Hastings faced four hitters while recording one out. Joshua Flaugher allowed all five hitters he faced to reach, including allowing the Poppy home run. Hayden Oglesby came on after the homer and got the next hitter out to end the inning.
The Boll Weevils went on to add 2 runs in the sixth inning and 1 in the seventh before a 4-run eighth pushed the game into run rule territory. SAU scored 2 runs in the bottom of the eighth but not enough to force a ninth inning.
Every starter in the UAM batting order tallied at least one hit, drove in at least one RBI and scored at least once. The first three hitters, right fielder Roc Hawthorne, Woolf and Poppy, each hit 3 for 5. Poppy led the Weevils with 4 RBI and 4 runs.
Tyler Bribiescas started on the mound for UAM, giving the Weevils 2.1 innings and allowing 2 runs on five hits before turning over pitching duties to Bryce Louis (5-2). The junior reliever pitched the remaining 5.2 innings, allowing 5 runs on eight hits.
UAM advanced to the semifinals to face No. 6-seed Henderson State at 8 p.m. The Boll Weevils must beat the Reddies on Saturday and again on Sunday to advance to next week’s GAC finals, while HSU needs only one victory.