RUSSELLVILLE, Okla. - The Crimson Storm hit the road traveling to Russellville, Arkansas to take on the Wonder Boys of Arkansas Tech. The ATU offense proved to be unstoppable as the Storm fell to the Wonder Boys in a series sweep.

Game 1

The Storm (3-11, 0-6 GAC) looked to kick their seven-game skid against ATU(7-8, 3-3 GAC) in their first conference road series. Will DesHotels got the go on the mound for the Storm getting two quick outs. The Wonder Boys were able to capitalize a two-out single and a hit by a pitch to push across the first run of the ballgame. 

SNU got a lead-off runner aboard as Blake Brinkmeyer drew a walk. The Storm was unfortunately unable to score Brinkmeyer leaving the score 1-0. DesHotels continued to work on the mound getting a quick three-up three-down inning to retire the side. 

The Tech pitching continued to dominate, shutting down the SNU offense once more. The Wonder Boys exploded for a five-run third inning taking advantage of SNU errors and passed balls. Oliver Wilson took over on the mound, collecting the final out of the inning.

A leadoff walk followed by a triple tacked on another run for Tech to push their lead once more. They then piled on two more runs to extend their lead to 8-0 after four innings of play. 

Chase Hudson singled in the top of the fifth to get the offense going for the Storm, but was stranded as the Wonder Boys shut down the SNU offense. Logan Isbell checked in on the mound delivering a scoreless frame to hold the Wonder Boys at their 8-0 lead.

The Storm continued to struggle at the plate as Tech continued to shut them down. On the other hand, Isbell went the distance for SNU and delivered another couple of scoreless frames into the eighth. The Wonder Boys tacked on one final run in the ninth to secure their 9-0 victory over Southern Nazarene in the series opener. 

Game 2

The Storm looked to get back at ATU in game two starting with a bang as Dax Edmonds blasted a home run over the left field wall. Patrick Hine took the mound for SNU delivering a scoreless frame in the first. 

The Wonder Boys were able to tie the score in the second on a squeeze bunt that plated one. Hine was not rattled as he shut down the Tech offense once again to turn over the inning. 

Southern Nazarene continued to struggle to respond, unable to plate another run. Hine fended off the Wonder Boys for two more innings before they tacked on two more runs thanks to a home run in the fifth. This pushed the ATU lead to 3-1. 

Gunner Phillps took over for Hine in the sixth, retiring the side to keep the WonderBoys offense silenced. It was not until the eighth that Tech tallied their final run of the contest thanks to a double down the left field line. 

The Arkansas Tech defense and pitching would keep SNU at bay for one more inning to claim the series win over the Storm 4-1. 

Game 3

The Crimson Storm got on the board first as O'Shea Whiteside scored on a passed ball. Edmonds followed suit, scoring on a wild pitch to extend the SNU lead. Chase Hudson then chimed in with a single up the middle to plate Colby Entwistle to give the Storm a 3-0.

The Wonder Boys responded quickly putting up three runs of their own against Storm starter Jacob Martinez to tie the score at 3-3 after the first. Landon Kinder then took over on the mound working out of the jam to turn over the inning. 

The Storm offense was silenced in the second as Arkansas Tech retired the side. The Wonder Boys added on a few more runs to get to an SNU pitching change. This time Zack Robinson would come on in relief. ATU was unphased putting up two more runs to lead 7-3 after two. 

Tech continued to swing it, plating another run in the third thanks to a double down the left-field line. The Storm got their leadoff runner aboard as Hudson singled to begin the inning. The SNU offense could not find a way to score him leaving the deficit at five.

ATU kept the runs coming, plating another three Wonder Boys to push their lead 11-3. Parker Presley then took over for the Storm on the mound allowing just two more Tech players to score. 

A few walks proved to be costly for the Wonder Boys as they walked in a Crimson Storm run. SNU then trailed 13-4 after the top of the sixth. Levi Graham came in to relieve Presley working out of a bit of a jam to keep the hot Tech offense off the board in their final frame. 

SNU was unable to create any sort of a comeback in the top of seventh falling to Arkansas Tech 13-4 in the series finale.

Next Up

The Storm will return to Feland Field to host East Central for a three-game series. The two will face off for a single game on Friday, March 2 at 1:00 p.m. and a double-header on Saturday, March 3 at noon.