MonticelloLive

The University of Arkansas at Monticello baseball team showed signs of improvement, but still suffered a three-game sweep by the Bisons of Harding with final scores of 16-8 and 14-7 on Saturday, followed by a 10-1 final on Sunday.

In the first game on Saturday, freshman starting pitcher Josh Hathcox (Bryan, Texas) threw six quality innings, allowing 10 runs, only one of which was earned. Hathcox (0-6) struck out three and walked only two of the 36 batters he faced.
 
Junior Ben Turner (Greenville, Miss.) and senior Ryan Pilcher (West Monroe, La.) led the team from the plate with two RBI each. Turner went 2 for 4 with a run scored, while Pilcher delivered a two-RBI single in the bottom of the fifth inning.
 
Freshman Tyler Ogden (Delhi, La.) turned in his best game of the season after going 3 for 4, with an RBI and one run scored.
 
In the second game, the production was evened out through several Weevil hitters.
 
Freshman Ben Miller (El Dorado, Ark.) went 2 for 4 with an RBI, while Pilcher was the other Weevil to record two hits with a 2 for 3 game.
 
Junior Josh Wisnoski (Navasota, Texas) recorded his first home run of the season with a solo-blast to right center field in the bottom of the third. That was Wisnoski’s only hit in the game.
 
Sophomore Kyle Thaxton (Blytheville, Ark.) dropped his season record to 0-9 after experiencing some control problems early in the game. Thaxton threw three and one third innings, while allowing 12 runs (eight earned) off 12 hits.
 
In the final game of the series, sophomore starting pitcher Kevin Lienard (Drew, Miss.) threw the only nine-inning complete game of the season, while allowing 10 runs off 15 hits. Lienard (0-5) only gave up two walks, while striking out four of the 46 batters he faced.
 
Wisnoski recorded his second blast of the season with a solo-shot close to the same place as his home run in game two of the series. That home run was UAM’s only score in the game.
 
The UAM baseball team honored the two lone seniors with a special presentation before the game on Sunday. Chris Whatley (Sachse, Texas) was ailed by a sickness this weekend and was unable to play. Whatley will try to suit for next weekend’s series at Henderson State for his last collegiate baseball games. The other senior that UAM honored was Pilcher. Pilcher is the only roster member that has played for UAM for more than two seasons. Pilcher also lettered in football during his time at UAM.
 
With the losses, the Weevils drop to 0-35 overall and 0-18 in the GSC, while the Bisons improved to 24-20 overall and 7-9 in the GSC.
 
UAM looks to win its first game of the season in the final series starting Saturday, Apr. 26 in Arkadelphia for a three-game GSC weekend with Henderson State. The two teams will play a double header on Saturday starting at noon, followed by a single nine-inning game on Sunday starting at 2 p.m.