ADA, Okla. – The East Central University baseball team earned a 14-8 win over Arkansas-Monticello and claimed the Great American Conference series win (2-1) at Ken Turner Field.

The Tigers (2-8, 2-1 GAC) had a strong day at the plate, tallying 19 hits as a team.  Seniors Trevor Huie and Kaleb Matthews and juniors Connor Stevenson and Dalton Etheredge all garnered three hits on the day, while junior Carson Bowen earned two hits.  Huie led the team with four RBIs and three runs, while Stevenson added three RBIs and three runs.

Senior Dylan Sanchez started on the mound and earned the win, throwing the first five innings, allowing six hits and five runs and striking out five.  Junior Kyle Britt ended the game, striking out two and allowing four hits and three runs.

The Boll Weevils (3-7, 1-2 GAC) started the game strong, scoring two runs in the top of the first inning for the lead.

It took ECU until the bottom of the second to get on the scoreboard, but the Tigers tied the game with a two-run home run by Huie to left field. \Matthews had started the inning with a single through the right side and was still on base after the next two batters had been retired.

ECU followed with two more runs in the bottom of the third to take its first lead of the game, 4-2.  After an out, Connor Stevenson hit his fourth home run of the season.  Matthews kept the inning going with a double to right center and advanced to third on a single by redshirt junior Josh Reeves.  That allowed Huie to earn an RBI with a sacrifice fly to right field and a 4-2 advantage.

The Tigers added to the lead with a run in the fourth for a 5-2 lead.  After the first out, Etheredge and Bowen singled.  The second out was recorded before Connor Stevenson earned another RBI with a single to left.

UAM was held from scoring again until the fifth inning, when the Boll Weevils tallied a run to make it 5-3.

ECU then added six more runs in the bottom of the fifth to push the advantage out to 11-3.  Reeves singled to center and then stole second.  Huie sent him to third with a single through the left side before the first two outs were recorded.  However, Etheredge kept the inning alive with a double to left center to score two runs.  Bowen added a third run with a single to center. 

Senior Jake MeKeel was walked and Connor Stevens added an RBI with a single to left center.  Two more runs came across with a double by Matthews to deep center field.

UAM cut into the deficit with two runs in the sixth for an 11-5 ECU lead.

The Tigers added three runs in the bottom of the seventh to make it 14-5.  MeKeel started with a single and then the first two outs were recorded.  Reeves then reached due to an error and a single through the left side from Huie sent a run across the plate.

Junior Kade Hayes kept things going with a double down the left field line that bounced just inside the line on the wall to score the final two runs.

The Boll Weevils scored three more runs in the eighth for a 14-8 ECU advantage.

The Tigers will now hit the road for the next two weeks, starting with a three game GAC series at Southern Arkansas, Feb. 24-25 in Magnolia, Ark.