RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. — The Arkansas Tech softball team turned out some drama in its home opener Thursday afternoon, charging back with two runs late in a 2-1 victory in the first game of the doubleheader against Pittsburg State at a frigid Chartwells Women's Sports Complex, and picked up the offense with a 13-5 mercy rule victory in the nightcap.
Courtney Colunga ripped four hits on the day, while Ashley Savage and Shanna Davidson each added three, including a big home run for each of them that helped turn the two games around for the No. 18 Golden Suns (6-0).
"We came back in the first game, and did really well in the second game," coach Kristina McSweeney said. "In adverse conditions, we got to go out there and played really well. We struggled a little defensively, and we have to clean that up for sure, but offensively is where we're doing really well right now."
The Tech bats got off to a bit of a slow start, picking up just two hits and three total baserunners over the first four innings of the opener against the Gorillas (3-3), and trailed 1-0 after a Pitt State run in the second inning. All it took was the first batter in the bottom of the fifth to change that though, as Savage deposited a ball over the left field fence to tie it up.
The offense started clicking immediately again in the sixth, as Colunga doubled to left center to start things off. Ashley Anderson pinch ran, and was moved up to third on a sacrifice bunt by Jalissa Gum before scoring the go-ahead run on a deep sac fly to right from Kambri Hill.
Victoria Huie and her defense battled through some tough situations, but the senior went the distance, earning her third win of the season by scattering eight hits and allowing a single unearned run. The Gorillas stranded 11 runs, leaving at least one in six of seven innings and leaving the bases loaded two times.
The Golden Suns didn't wait nearly as long to start clicking in Game 2, answering a Pitt State run in the top of the first with seven of their own in the bottom half, all coming with two outs. Colunga started the rally off with a two-out single, followed by Gum getting hit by a pitch and Hill and Chelsea Reeves drawing walks, the second of which tied the game at 1-1. Next up, Savage singled to left to drive in Gum before Anderson's groundball was muffed by the Gorillas' shortstop, allowing Reeves and Hill to score and increase the lead to 4-1. Davidson's three-run homer to left center poured even more on, as Tech led by six after one inning.
The first four Tech batters in the second inning reached base, with Alex Edinger and Colunga ripping back-to-back doubles to lead it off. Gum walked, and Hill's single to center plated Colunga and pushed the lead to 9-1. Pitt State responded with three runs in the top of the third and another in the fifth to draw within four, but the Golden Suns pounded out five hits — all singles — in the bottom of the fifth to make it 12-5. Hill's leadoff shot over the fence in right center to start the sixth for Tech was all it needed to keep its perfect record intact over the first six games of the season.
The Golden Suns hit the road for another doubleheader against a Central Region opponent, heading to Fort Hays State Wednesday.
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