MonticelloLive

Colter Zoch (Jr., La Grange, Texas) fired a four-hitter to lead the University of Arkansas at Monticello Boll Weevils (5-39, 3-14 GSC) to a 3-1 victory in game two of a doubleheader with Harding University, snapping a 14-game losing streak for the Boll Weevils and salvaging a doubleheader split after the Weevils fell 10-3 in the opening game.

In the opening contest, the Bisons cruised to a 7-0 lead after three innings. UAM narrowed the gap to 7-3 in the fourth, breaking through first on an RBI single by Chris Whatley (Jr., Garland, Texas) and scoring again on a two-run single by Matt Gardner (Fr., West Monroe, La.).

Harding pushed ahead again with a two-run fifth inning and tacked on another run in the seventh to close scoring.

Meanwhile, Harding pitcher Justin Phillips was dominant, setting a Harding record by striking out 17 Boll Weevils. It was only the fifth time in GSC history and the second in the aluminum bat era that a pitcher had 17 or more strikeouts; with the last coming in an outing by Christian Brothers’ Steven Oelke against UAM in 2002.

Phillips picked up the win after scattering seven hits over nine innings, allowing all three runs, two earned. David Nix (Fr., Camden, Ark.) took the loss for the Weevils to fall to 0-10 on the season after surrendering five runs, one earned on five hits in 1 2/3 innings. Matt Whatley (Jr., Garland, Texas) had two hits in the loss.

However, in the second game Zoch would turn in the dominating performance, allowing just one first-inning run and scattering four hits over seven innings, fanning three and walking two.

The Weevils claimed an early lead in the first inning on an RBI double by Haley Hougen (Sr., Wylie, Texas), but the game was quickly tied as Harding scored their lone run in the bottom of the first. Nate Black (Sr., Rocky River, Ohio) gave the Weevils the lead with an RBI triple in the fourth, and Matt Whatley pushed the UAM lead to 3-1 with a solo homer to lead off the sixth inning.

Zoch improved to 4-9 on the season with the win. Black had two hits in the Weevils victory.

The two teams will conclude their Gulf South Conference series with a single game at 1 p.m. Sunday.