RUSSELLVILLE, ARK. – The East Central University baseball team opened the Great American Conference series at Arkansas Tech with a 12-11 loss.

The Tigers (2-26, 1-18 GAC) tallied 11 hits in the game, with sophomores Cale Ridling and Dakota Washington and seniors Bryce Dimitroff and Connor Stevenson each earning two hits each.  Ridling, Dimitroff, Stevenson and senior Trevor Crone all added two runs, while Washington led the team with four RBIs.

ECU started the scoring with a run in the top of the first inning.  Sophomore Cale Ridling started the game with a triple and was sent home when junior Yan-Eric Tremblay grounded out the second.

The Wonder Boys (19-11, 12-7 GAC) countered with a run in the bottom of the first and then one more in the second for a 2-1 lead.

The Tigers fought back and took a 6-2 advantage, with five runs in the fifth inning.  Senior Bryce Dimitroff started the inning with a single, Tremblay walked and senior Trevor Crone singled to load the bases.  That allowed senior Connor Stevenson to earn an RBI when he was walked.

Sophomore Dakota Washington added a run when he hit a sacrifice fly to right.  Junior Marcus Sonner added a run with a single to right.  Sophomore Hayden George hit a bunt single that allowed a run to score and the final run was scored when junior Josh Lincoln reached on a fielding error.

ATU added a run in the bottom of the fifth to cut the deficit to 6-3.  However, ECU countered with three runs in the fifth for a 9-3 lead.

The inning started with Crone reaching because of an error and he was sent to third when Stevenson doubled.  Both runners then scored when Washington hit a three-run home run to left field.

ATU kept fighting and scored a run in the fifth, three in the sixth and three in the seventh to take a 10-9 lead.

The Tigers regained the advantage after the top of the eighth, with two runs (11-10).  After the first out, Ridling and Dimitroff singled and the bases were loaded when Tremblay was walked.  Both runs then scored when Crone and Stevenson reached on back-to-back errors.

The Wonders Boys did not go away quietly, as they tallied a run in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at 11.

ECU was not able to score in the top of the ninth, but ATU earned the win with a single, sacrifice bunt and a walk-off single in the bottom of the inning for the 12-11 win.

The teams will play the final two games of the series, Saturday, March 31 starting at 1 p.m.