GOLF
Three state teams in regional rankings
Arkansas Tech University leads five Great American Conference men's teams ranked in the NCAA Division II Central Region rankings, which were released Friday.
Arkansas Tech tops the poll, while Southeastern Oklahoma State is ranked No. 4. Harding University is No. 6 in the poll, followed by Southwestern Oklahoma State (No. 8) and Henderson State University (No. 9).
The top 10 teams and top four individuals will earn a bid to the NCAA Central/Midwest Super Regional on May 7-9 in Findlay, Ohio.
TENNIS
Harding men win; ATU women lose in semifinals
The Harding men's team defeated Oklahoma Baptist 5-3 on Friday, while the Arkansas Tech women lost 5-1 to Southeastern Oklahoma State in the semifinals of the Great American Conference Championship at the Memorial Park Tennis Complex in Bentonville.
Harding, which has won 11 of its past 12 matches, got a sweep in the doubles matches to take a 3-0 lead. The team of Carlos Crisostomo and Luis Tirado won its 11th consecutive match and improved to 22-7, tying them for the second most doubles victories in a season in team history. Adria Abella won his fifth consecutive singles match and Alejandro Sendra won in three sets to give the Bisons a spot in the conference championship today against Southeastern Oklahoma State, which defeated Ouachita Baptist University 5-0.
In the women's semifinals, the Savage Storm earned the doubles point by winning two of three matches. Arkansas Tech's lone doubles victory came from Annabel Rowlands and Kami Ward, who defeated Paula Martinez and Luisa Auffarth 8-5. Southeastern Oklahoma State then got singles victories from Sandra Reljic, Diana Budnik and Auffarth.
UAFS men fall to top seed
The University of Arkansas at Fort Smith men's team was swept by top-seeded St. Edward's 5-0 on Friday in the first round of the Heartland Conference Tournament at the Arlington (Texas) Tennis Center.
The Hilltoppers (19-9) swept all three doubles matches, but the Lions (7-11) lost by just one point in one match and two points in another. St. Edward's, the regular-season conference champion, then got singles victories from Gabriel Zuniga and Chase Morehouse to claim the victory.
BASEBALL
Matros sets career marks in OBU victory
Ouachita Baptist University pitcher J.F. Matros threw a complete game Friday and struck out nine batters while setting Great American Conference career marks for starts (49) and innings pitched (309⅔) in the Tigers' 5-4 victory over Southwestern Oklahoma State in Arkadelphia.
The complete game was Matros' third of the season. Kyle Alexander led the Tigers (12-32, 7-20) offensively, going 4 for 4 with 2 RBI, and Preson Speers was 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 RBI.
UAM beats Harding
The University of Arkansas at Monticello limited Harding University to five hits Friday in a 7-3 victory at Weevil Field in Monticello.
The Boll Weevils (29-12, 22-6) were in control from the start, scoring two runs in the first inning, two more in the third and one in the fourth to take a 5-1 lead. Harding (23-21, 13-15) scored on a bases-loaded walk in the sixth to cut the lead to 5-2, but UAM tacked on two more runs in the eighth for a 7-2 lead. The Bisons added a final run on a sacrifice fly in the ninth.
Nolan Fertig had two of Harding's five hits to lead the Bisons offensively, while Andrew Rios and Drake Rowton both went 3 for 4 to lead the Boll Weevils.
TRACK AND FIELD
ASU wins eight events on first day
Arkansas State University won eight events Friday to start the Red Wolves Open in Jonesboro.
Christian Ravar Ladislau broke his own school record in the hammer throw and won the event with a throw of 225 feet, 6 inches. Calea Carr won the women's hammer throw with a throw of 186-5. The Red Wolves also swept the long jump as Carter Shell took the men's competition with a jump of 24-3¾, and Arabriaun Mack won the women's event with a jump of 18-4½. Michael Carr won the pole vault after jumping 17-3½.
On the track, Caitland Smith posted a wind-aided time of 23.37 seconds to win the 200-meter dash. Heinrich Herbst finished the 1,500 in 3:51.34, the eighth-fastest time in program history, while Pauline Meyer won the women's 1,500 with the third-fastest time in program history at 4:31.57.
-- Democrat-Gazette Press Services
Sports on 04/21/2018