RUSSELLVILLE, ARK. – The East Central University baseball team finished up the doubleheader in the Great American Conference series at Arkansas Tech, falling 15-5 (8) in the opening game of the day and 14-6 in the finale.

The Tigers (2-28, 1-20 GAC) saw four players hit over .400 for the day, with junior Josh Lincoln leading the way with a .667 average, four hits and three runs.  Senior Bryce Dimitroff added a .500 average (four hits/two runs/one RBI), while senior Trevor Crone (3 hits/2 runs/2 RBI) and junior Marcus Sonnier (three hits/one run/one RBI) each hitting .429.

ATU 15, ECU 5 (8)
The Wonder Boys (22-11, 14-7 GAC) were the first to get on the scoreboard, with a single run in the first inning.  It took the Tigers until the third to get on the scoreboard, but they took a 2-1 lead after the top of the inning.

Lincoln started the inning with a single, stole second and advanced to third on a ground out by sophomore Cale Ridling.  That allowed Dimitroff to earn the RBI when he grounded out to short.  The final run of the inning was scored when Crone hit a solo home run to left field.

ATU responded and regained the lead in the bottom of the inning, with five runs for a 6-2 advantage.

Both teams were quiet in the fourth and then both scored in the fifth.  ECU added three runs in the top of the inning on a single from Lincoln and a two-run home run to left by Ridling.

However, the Wonder Boys added another five spot to push the lead to 11-5.  Both teams defense then held up in the next inning, but ATU then added a run in the seventh and three in the eighth for the 15-5 win.

ATU 14, ECU 6
The Tigers were the first to earn a run, taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning.  Dimitroff reached due to an error and then scored when sophomore Dakota Washington singled.
The Golden Suns took a 2-1 lead in the second before ECU responded with three runs in the top of the third for a 4-2 lead.


Dimitroff started the inning with a double and was advanced to third on a ground out by Crone.  Junior Yan-Eric Tremblay was added to the base path with a walk, allowing Sonnier to earn an RBI with a double.  The final run came across when junior Tag Sparks singled.

ATU cut the deficit to one in the bottom of the inning (4-3) with a single run.  The Wonder Boys then added three runs in the fourth and four in the fifth for a 10-4 advantage.

The Tigers were able to add two more runs to the scoreboard in the sixth after Lincoln singled and Ridling hit a home run to left center.

However, ATU countered with four more runs in the sixth for the 14-6 final.