Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. — The Arkansas Tech softball team got close twice, but couldn't solve Southern Nazarene Saturday afternoon, dropping the first two games of a four-game Great American Conference series at Chartwells Women's Sports Complex by scores of 4-1 and 6-5.

Janie Knowles cracked four hits and picked up three RBIs for the day, while Alexa Wimberly added three hits, including a home run for the Golden Suns (35-18, 20-14 GAC), who just have two games Sunday against the Crimson Storm (19-26, 15-18 GAC) left on their regular season schedule.

The Tech bats were stymied by SNU in the opener, as Kayla Wyatt tossed a three-hitter for the Crimson Storm. Knowles had two of those three hits, as singles fell in with one out in both the first and sixth innings, and she added a third-inning walk to reach base all three times she came to the plate. The Storm took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, added two more in the fourth and an insurance run in the seventh. The Golden Suns got on the board in the bottom of the seventh, as Wimberly blasted a home run down the left field line to lead off the frame.

Morgan Vaughan went 4 2/3 innings in the start, allowing three runs and six hits while striking out three. Kelsie Barker went the final 2 1/3, keeping the Suns in the game by allowing just four hits and a single run over that span.

SNU jumped out to an early lead again in the nightcap, putting up a run in the top of the first and adding three more in the third. Tech answered with two of their own in the bottom of the third, as Ashley Anderson worked a leadoff walk, stole second and third, and came in to score on a Samantha Herweck groundout. Later in the frame, Alex Edinger slapped a two-out single through the right side and proceeded to steal second, just beating the throw home on Knowles' single to center that followed to cut the score to 4-2.

The Golden Suns put single runners on in each of the next four innings, but it wasn't until the seventh that they started making a comeback attempt. Jalissa Gum led off with a walk and Herweck added a one-out single before the SNU pitcher made a great play to rob Whitney Robinson of a base hit. She would get a fielder's choice, and Edinger pushed the bases loaded with an infield single. Knowles pushed two runs across with a single back through the middle, and after a Wimberly single loaded the bases once more, Tech got to within a run when Edinger scampered home on a wild pitch, but couldn't add the tying run.

Victoria Huie started Game two, going three innings before Sydnee Clark finished off the last four innings allowing two runs, just one earned, on three hits.

The Golden Suns and Crimson Storm wrap up their series with a doubleheader beginning at noon Sunday back at Chartwells Women's Sports Complex.