RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Golden Suns comeback in the bottom of the seventh fell short as they dropped the opening game of the Great American Conference series against Southern Nazarene, 6-2.
The Golden Suns return to the field on Saturday to face off against the Crimson Storm in a doubleheader starting at noon at the Chartwells Women's Sports Complex.
Both teams went scoreless in the inning, despite
Paty Loredo reaching on a fielding error and
Tymber Riley knocking a single to right-center. Southern Nazarene got on the board in the top of the second, going up 1-0. The Golden Suns went down in order in the bottom of the second.
The Crimson Storm used errors from the Golden Suns to put up two more runs in the top of the third inning, to lead 3-0 going into the bottom of the inning.
Caitlyn Wells took a pitch off the foot but the Golden Suns remained off the board.
After posting three more runs in the fourth, the Crimson Storm went scoreless in final three innings, going down in order in the fifth and the seventh. The Golden Suns loaded the bases in the fifth after
Reisa Bakenhus singled to left field and
Sydney Keaton reached on a fielder's choice. Loredo picked up a walk along with
Destiny Sanders but the Golden Suns were unable to convert.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Golden Suns got on the board after Keaton and Loredo knocked back-to-back singles and Riley brought Keaton in on a single to center field. Loredo scored from a
Valerie Inghram single up the middle. The Golden Suns scored two in the bottom of the seventh but ultimately fell 6-2. Riley posted two hits in the game and Kayla Cartwright struck out four in 3.2 innings.
