MONTICELLO – The University of Arkansas at Monticello baseball team dropped two Gulf South Conference games to Arkansas Tech at home on Friday afternoon with final scores of 9-2 in the first game and 6-1 in the second game.
 
The Weevils allowed Tech to jump out to a quick 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning with a three-run home run with two outs by Tech’s designated hitter Jonathan Houston.
 
Tech was the next team to score in the game with another three run inning in the top of the fifth to take a 6-0 lead over the Weevils.
 
UAM scored one run in each of the eighth and ninth innings. In the eighth, freshman Ben Miller (El Dorado, Ark.) scored on an RBI-groundout by freshman T.J. Weed (Mangham, La.). Junior Josh Wisnoski (Navasota, Texas) scored in the ninth inning due to a throwing error by Tech’s catcher.
 
Sophomore Kyle Thaxton (Blytheville, Ark.) recorded his fifth loss of the season after allowing six runs off eight hits in his seven innings of work.
 
In the second game, Tech used a four-run fifth inning to gain a comfortable lead. UAM’s only run came in the bottom of the third inning with a solo home run by sophomore Craig Caldwell (West Monroe, La.), his second blast of the season.
 
Sophomore Matt Gardner (West Monroe, La.) led the Weevils offensively, going two for three at the plate in the game.
 
Recording the loss for the Weevils was freshman Josh Hathcox (Bryan, Texas), who allowed five runs off six hits in almost five innings of action. Hathcox moved to 0-4 on the season.
 
With the two losses, UAM drops to 0-22 overall and 0-5 in the GSC, while Tech improves to 16-10 overall and remains on top of the GSC leader board with an unblemished 5-0 conference record.
 
The two teams will conclude the series with a single nine-inning game on Saturday, March 22 starting at 12 p.m. at Weevil Field.