RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The seventh-ranked Arkansas Tech Golden Suns softball team (49-10) went to extra innings against No. 15 Southern Arkansas (50-9), but fell in eight innings to the Muleriders 2-1 in the opening game of the best-of-three series Wednesday afternoon at the Chartwells Women's Sports Complex.
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After falling behind 1-0 on a solo home run in the second,
Jalissa Gum responded in the third inning with a line drive double to the left center field gap to score
Alex Edinger from first, tying the game up 1-1.
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Gum battled through four more shutout innings before Southern Arkansas hit a bloop single to left field to score a runner from second to provide the winning run in the top of the eighth.
The Suns threatened in the bottom of the eighth with runners on first and second, but a nice defensive play on a popup ended the Golden Suns threat.
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NEXT UP
- Arkansas Tech will face Southern Arkansas tomorrow for the series finale at the Chartwells Women's Sports Complex. The first game is scheduled for 1 p.m. and an if-necessary second game will be approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.
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SAU STARTING LINEUP
- Liz Hudgins (CF)
- Taylor Guin (2B)
- Brooke Goad (LF)
- Darian Harris (1B)
- Maddie Dow (DP)
- Ashton Atwell (RF)
- Tyler Casada (C)
- Chelsea Jordan (3B)
- Summer Ehrig (SS)
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TECH STARTING LINEUP
- Alex Edinger (3B)
- Destiny Crumpley (DP)
- Jalissa Gum (P)
- Kambri Hill (CF)
- Sarah Coronado (SS)
- Janie Knowles (C)
- Ashley Anderson (RF)
- Megan Goodnight (1B)
- Sydnie Henson (LF)
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SCORING PLAYS
- SAU 2nd - A. Atwell homered to left field, RBI (1-0 B). (SAU 1, Tech 0)
- Tech 3rd - J. Gum doubled to right center, RBI (1-0 B); A. Edinger scored. (Tech 1, SAU 1)
- SAU 8th - A. Atwell singled to right field, RBI (1-2 BFS); T. Stricklin advanced to second; D. Harris scored. (Tech 2, SAU 1)
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OF RECORD
- Winning Pitcher: Kimmy Beasley (25-4)
- Losing Pitcher: Jalissa Gum (22-3)
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NOTABLES
- Gum pitched eight innings, giving up just two runs on four hits and six walks along with 12 strikeouts.
- Gum went 1-for-3 from the plate with RBI double and a walk.
- Alex Edinger scored the lone run, going 1-for-4 from the plate.
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-FIGHTON-