NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Arkansas Tech avenged its Thursday loss to Harding with a 5-0 victory in Friday’s final GAC Baseball Championship contest from Dickey-Stephens Park to reach the final for the second time in program history.
Jack Rector threw 7.0 scoreless innings and allowed four hits, only singles, to earn his sixth victory of the season. Will Horton threw the final two innings to secure the Wonder Boys’ first appearance in the final since 2021. In three stints in North Little Rock, Horton has thrown 5.1 scoreless innings with five strikeouts.
Grant Jones and Nick Jones combined to go 4-for-7 with four RBI and two runs scored. Keaton Ranallo, Brendyn Bard and Cole Dawson each collected two hits.
Nick Jones drove in runs in the first and third innings. Ranallo scored via a bases-loaded walk in the seventh. Grant Jones singled home Bard and a Nick Jones walk brought home Dawson.
The Wonder Boys (37-17) take on Arkansas-Monticello needing two victories to capture their first GAC Baseball Championship title.
In the afternoon game, the Wonder Boys eliminated Southern Arkansas, the two-time GAC champions when Bard singled home Aaron Hogue off of a drawn-in infield in the bottom of the 10th inning.
Tech led 3-2 entering the eighth inning before the Muleriders Jaden Woolbright tied the game with his second home run in as many games.
Horton pitched 2.0 scoreless innings to pick up his sixth win.
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