Wilcox threw six shutout innings and belted a home run in Van Buren's 2-0 win against Russellville in the prime-time pitching duel against Razorback signee Trystan Newberry at Iverson Riggs Field at the Field of Dreams complex.
Van Buren (5-2, 3-0) scored single runs in the first and third innings against the Cyclones (0-7, 0-3), which was the difference.
"Two dudes going at it on the mound," Van Buren Coach Luke Weatherford said. "That was a good game."
Trenton Glover led off the home half of the first inning with a double to deep right center field, and Wilcox followed with another double to score courtesy runner Evan Underwood for a 1-0 lead.
"To come out swinging like we did, I was surprised but happy," Weatherford said. "We ran into a couple of balls. For Trenton to go up there, a freshman, and hit a ball like that off a guy like that is big. Then Weston followed it up with another one."
Wilcox led off the third inning with a home run, turning on an 0-2 fastball and depositing it beyond the fence in dead left.
"If we make a better pitch 0-2, Wilcox doesn't it hit it off the mountain out there," Russellville Coach Will McCrotty said. "In the first inning, we left a couple of fastballs up that they drove the other way. Baseball's a game of inches, and that was the difference today."
The home run was a no-doubter off the bat.
"It was a fun at-bat," Wilcox said. "I've seen him before. It wasn't anything I haven't seen before. I knew his velo would be there. I just had to be ready for the fastball and adjust to anything else. Once it was fastball, I knew I was going to swing at it."
The left-handed Newberry went all six innings for Russellville, allowing three hits and two earned runs, both earned, while striking out 13. The earned runs were the first allowed by Newberry this season, who came into the game with 19 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings after striking out 176 in 111 1/3 innings combined over his sophomore and juniors seasons.
"I love games like this when it's pitcher versus pitcher," Wilcox said. "I was telling the guys that this was one of the games I was really looking forward to."
Newberry struck out three batters in the first, second and fifth innings.
Wilcox allowed just two hits, both by first baseman Lucas Stokes on a double in the first inning and a single in the fourth inning.
Wilcox struck out 8 and pitched to the minimum 15 batters in the second through the sixth inning.
"Both of those guys are competitors, they threw the ball and it's fun to watch Trystan and Wilcox pitch," McCrotty said. "Wilcox is on the right track for a lot of things. It was fun to watch. It was a pitcher's duel and what we expected."
Wilcox walked Cason Green with two outs in the second inning but picked him off second.
He gave up a leadoff single to Stokes in the fourth inning, but he was erased on a double-play grounder started by shortstop Hudson Stewart and second baseman Truett Cazzell.
Chase Bradford walked on four pitches to open the sixth inning, but Glover threw him out trying to steal.
Wilcox walked Stokes on four pitches to start the seventh inning, but Tristan Ray retired the next three batters on 15 pitches with two strikeouts to earn the save after earning the win in relief on Friday at Siloam Springs.
"Tristan has been big," Weatherford said. "We have a lot of trust in him. His mental toughness, he's going to throw strikes. He's got three pitches he's going to throw over the plate. He's got that quarterback mentality on the mound."
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