ARKADELPHIA, Ark. – Morgan Vaughan tossed a two-hitter in the opening game, supported by a two-homer game by Miranda Dupree, but the Golden Suns managed just one hit in the nightcap as Arkansas Tech (34-13, 20-10 Great American Conference) split a doubleheader with first-place Henderson State (32-10, 22-6 GAC), winning the opener 9-2 before falling 10-1 in the nightcap.

Vaughan and HSU's Michelle Sorensen were locked in a pitchers duel through the first four innings of the contest, with neither team able to score a run. That all changed in the top of the fifth, when Shanna Davidson belted a two-out solo homer to put the Golden Suns on the board. An RBI single by Jalissa Gum later in the inning gave the Golden Suns a 2-0 lead.

Dupree stretched the Tech advantage to 3-0 in the top of the sixth with a solo homer of her own, but the Reddies were able to cut the Golden Suns' lead to 3-2 after a two-run single by Tricia Hock in the bottom of the sixth.

A pinch-hit bunt single by Samantha Herweck in the seventh gave the Golden Suns a 4-2 lead, and a two-run error pushed the Golden Suns ahead by a 6-2 margin.

Tech was not done flexing its offensive muscle, using back-to-back homers to further stretch the lead. Dupree's second homer of the game, a two-run shot gave the Golden Suns an 8-2 lead while Vaughan helped her own cause with a solo blast immediately thereafter.

Vaughan improved to 9-3 on the season after tossing seven innings, giving up two hits and allowing two runs, both earned. The freshman walked one and fanned seven.

The nightcap was far less kind to the Golden Suns, as Tech was unable to solve Ashlyn White, who held Tech to just one hit on the contest.

HSU jumped out to a 6-0 lead before the Golden Suns were able to get on the board, using a solo homer by Davidson to score the only run of the contest. HSU tacked on three more runs in the fourth to seal the run-rule win.

The two teams will conclude their four-game series on Monday with a 2 p.m. doubleheader.