RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. - Taking on Southern Arkansas  in their first home series of the 2022 season, the Arkansas Tech softball team splits the doubleheader to put the three-game series at a 1-1 tie heading into the final game. The Golden Suns took game one with a 2-1 victory over the Muleriders. In game two, Southern Arkansas came away with a late comeback to pull off the 2-1 win over Arkansas Tech. Following today's doubleheader, the Golden Suns sit at 11-10 overall and 2-3 against Great American Conference opponents.

GAME ONE
In the first game of the doubleheader, neither side was able to put something on the board in the first inning as both pitchers went three up, three down to take the game into the second inning. The Golden Suns would strike first in the bottom of the second as a single to centerfield from Caitlyn Wells recorded the first hit of the game. Following a walk for Brooke Prewitt, Sydney Keaton came into pinch run for Wells who moved to second base following the walk. A sacrifice hit for Kaylyn Aguirre advanced both Prewitt and Keaton ahead one base to put them both into scoring position.

Following the play from Aguirre, Holly Crutchfield approached the plate as the next hitter for the Golden Suns. Crutchfield would send out a single through the left side that would score Keaton, but an error by Southern Arkansas' left fielder sent Crutchfield up to second and scored Prewitt for the final big play of the inning.

While there were no runs for either side in the third inning of play, Shelby Chavers managed to pick up the third hit of the game for the Golden Suns with a single up the middle. In the top of the fourth inning, the Golden Suns managed to pick up two quick outs, but then walked the next batter. The Muleriders would take advantage of the opportunity with a double that scored the runner from first base to make it a 2-1 game.

Neither side would score another run but the Golden Suns did pick up two more hits in the game from a Prewitt single in the bottom of the fourth and a single from Makenzie Goins to left field in the bottom of the sixth.

Picking up the win in the circle for the Golden Suns was Bailey Buffington who threw all seven innings and struckout five in 7.0 innings of work to move to 5-3 on the season.

GAME TWO
The Golden Suns opened the second game with a bang as Tymber Riley singled to right field and would advance to second on the error to put her in scoring position to get things started. Riley then found her way to third base off a wild pitch. Goins hit a sacrifice fly out to left field allowing Riley to haul in for the run and give the Golden Suns a 1-0 lead after the first inning of play.

Neither team would record another hit until the bottom of the fourth inning as the pitching was firing on all cylinders on both sides. Aguirre would record the hit in the bottom of the fourth inning to pick up the second and final hit of the game for Arkansas Tech.

The score remained a 1-0 lead for the Golden Suns as they went into the potential final half inning at the top of the seventh. Shannon Lasey started the game in the circle for Arkansas Tech and remained there in the top of the seventh. Lasey quickly picked up a strikeout against her first batter of the inning to put away one with two outs left to close the game.

Southern Arkansas managed to pick up a single with their next hitter, but Lasey would put the next one in play as Riley fielded the grounder at second and sent it over to first to get the second out of the inning. With a runner on second, the Muleriders managed to hit a double up the middle and score the runner at second to tie the game at 1-1 with their first run of the game. Lasey walked the next hitter and would get another chance with the next one.

She managed to get the ball in play, but her throwing error to first would cost Tech as the hitter would reach first on that and the Muleriders would put the final nail in the coffin scoring a run off the throwing error by Lasey to take a 2-1 lead. Kaila Cartwright would replace Lasey in the circle following the play and would record the final out of the top of the seventh with a strikeout.

The Golden Suns would be unable to produce a run in the bottom of the seventh giving Southern Arkansas the narrow 2-1 win to split the doubleheader.

Lasey picks up the loss for Arkansas Tech to move to 3-4 on the season. She pitched 6.2 innings and struck out two.

UP NEXT
The Golden Suns will look to bounce back and take the three-game series over Southern Arkansas in the final game tomorrow afternoon. First pitch is set to go at noon.