Chaz Poppy and Aidan Garrett launched home runs, and the University of Arkansas at Monticello baseball team raced out to a big lead with 9 runs through 3 innings Saturday in a 14-1, 7-inning win over Oklahoma Baptist University.
The game opened the best-of-3 Great American Conference first-round series at Weevils Field between UAM (28-20), the No. 1 seed that shared the regular-season championship, and No. 8 seed Oklahoma Baptist (31-19). The second game was paused Saturday evening with Oklahoma Baptist leading 11-4 in the bottom of the sixth inning, UAM at bat. All games are scheduled for 9 innings.
That game will resume at 10 a.m. Monday at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia. If Oklahoma Baptist wins, a decisive third game will immediately follow. The winner will advance to double-elimination bracket play this week at Dickey-Stephens Park in North Little Rock.
The Boll Weevils posted 4 runs in the second inning after Parker Dorrance (double) and Logan Jones (sacrifice fly) drove in a run each and Cade Cancilla sent home 2 runs on a single. In the 5-run third, Roc Hawthorne was hit by a pitch, and Camden Tanner walked with bases loaded to force in a run each. Cancilla and Poppy hit RBI singles, and Cole Cripps hit a sac fly.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The Bison finally got on the board in the fourth after Troy Shields, the Great American Co-Player of the Week, homered over left field. Garrett smashed a 3-run shot over right in the fifth, and Poppy closed the scoring with a 2-run jack over center field.
Poppy and Dorrance each had 3 hits. Cancilla, Poppy and Garrett collected 3 RBI apiece.
Connor Irvine (8-1) struck out 6 and allowed a run on 4 hits in 6 innings for the win. Jacob McDaniel held the Bison to 2 hits in the seventh.
Three pitchers came on for Oklahoma Baptist, with Brek Galbreath (6-4) taking the loss after 7 earned runs on 5 hits in 2 1/3 innings. Galbreath struck out 2.
In other first-round series: Southern Arkansas defeated Henderson State in two games; Harding defeated Northwestern Oklahoma State in two games and Arkansas Tech will complete its home series against Ouachita Baptist with the resumption of Game 3 Monday.