Weevils Hand Grambling First Loss of Season

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GRAMBLING, La. (Feb. 13) --- The University of Arkansas at Monticello Boll Weevils (2-4) banged out 13 hits en route to an 18-7 rout of Grambling on Tuesday at Tiger Field. The loss was Grambling's first of the season, and the win marked UAM head coach Ron Hill’s first ever victory over a NCAA Division I school.

   The Tigers opened scoring in the bottom of the first inning, as Mike Roby smacked an RBI triple to score Jose Suncar, giving Grambling a 1-0 lead. The Weevils immediately responded as Nate Black (Sr., Rocky River, Ohio) led off the top of the second with a solo home run to right-center, tying the game at 1-1. Ryan Pilcher (Jr., West Monroe, La.) gave the Weevils a 3-1 lead with a two run double just three batters later, and the Weevils pushed ahead 5-1 after another two-run double from Jon Michael Kidd (Fr., West Monroe, La.).

   UAM added another run in the top of the second as Josh Mace (Sr., Nelson, B.C.) hit an RBI single, giving UAM a 6-1 lead after the top of the second inning.

   The Weevils added another pair of runs in the top of the third after a sacrifice fly by Kidd scored one run, and Matt Gardner (Fr., West Monroe, La.) added another run after scoring on an error to give the Boll Weevils an 8-1 lead.

   Grambling tacked on a run in the bottom of the third after a sacrifice fly to pull to within 8-2, but the Weevils’ offense added three more runs in the top of the fourth, as Gus Villegas (Jr., Cangues, Puerto Rico) hit an RBI double and Gardner added a two-run double, giving UAM an 11-2 lead.

   Grambling once again tacked on a run in the bottom of the fourth after an RBI single by Ron Marshall and added two more in the fifth inning after a pair of RBI singles, pulling the Tigers to within 11-5.

   UAM responded in the top of the sixth inning with two runs as Villegas added another UAM sacrifice fly, and Black stole home with two outs in the inning.

   The Boll Weevils tacked on another big inning with a five-run seventh, and Grambling could only manage two runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to pull the final margin to 18-7.

   Tyler Price (So., Maurice, La.) picked up the win for the Boll Weevils after allowing five runs in five innings, scattering seven hits and walking six. Cory DeJarnett (Fr., White Hall) tossed four innings of relief, allowing just one hit and two unearned runs.

   Mace and Villegas both picked up three hits in the win, while Black and Gardner both added two hits for the Weevils.

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