SERIES INFORMATION
ARKANSAS TECH GOLDEN SUNS 25-14 (15-6 GAC)	HENDERSON STATE REDDIES 11-29 (8-13 GAC)
Friday, April 8 | 5 p.m. Chartwells Women's Sports Complex | Russellville, Ark. LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO Saturday, April 9 | Noon Chartwells Women's Sports Complex | Russellville, Ark. LIVE STATS | LIVE VIDEO

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. - After a big outing on the road at Harding on Tuesday where they picked up a 2-0 win to sweep them in the season series on the year, the Arkansas Tech softball team returns home to face the Henderson State Reddies in a three-game weekend conference series clash. The weekend will open with the first game on Friday evening with a 5 p.m. first pitch at Chartwells Women's Sports Complex. The series will wrap with doubleheader action as first pitch is slated for noon on Saturday afternoon. The second game of the doubleheader will begin shortly after the conclusion of the first.

SCOUTING THE REDDIES

Entering the weekend, Henderson State is 11-29 overall with an 8-13 record in conference play and are coming off a 5-2 mid-week game win over Ouachita Baptist at home. Against GAC opponents the Reddies have picked up a pair of series wins against Southern Nazarene and Southwestern Oklahoma State.

As a team, the Reddies are hitting .257 so far this season (270-for-1051) with 129 runs scored, 43 doubles and 21 homeruns. Coming into the series, the Reddies have two hitters with at least 80 at-bats hitting .300 or better and are led by Madison Treutlein with a .358 average (29-for-81). The other batting average leader for Henderson State is Justine Burch with a .340 average (36-for-106).

In terms of power numbers, the Reddies have eight total players that have hit at least one homerun on the year. AbbieMoore leads the team in total homeruns with seven on the year, while Brooke Johnson follows behind with five. Closing out the long bomb leaders is Monica Monreal with three and Savannah Hughes with two. Treutlein, Burch, Lexi Trejo and Miyah Jackson make up the rest of the list of homerun hitters. The leader in RBI's is Moore with 19 followed by Johnson with 17 and Treutlein with 14.

In the circle, the Reddies have a team ERA of 5.57 and have struckout 173 in 266.2 total innings.

Five total pitchers have made at least one appearance in the circle this season so far for the Reddies. Savannah Carriganleads in starts with 12, followed by Johnson with 10. Carrigan is 4-8 with a 5.27 ERA and has struckout 58 in 79.2 innings. She has also picked up a save on the season. Johnson is 2-6 with a team high 2.98 ERA and also leads the team in strikeouts with 61 in 68.2 innings.

In relief, Erika Bittinger leads with 22 appearances and holds a 4-4 record with a team high in saves with three. She has a 4.22 ERA and has struckout 31 hitters in 68.0 innings pitched.

TECH TIDBITS

The Golden Suns enter this weekends three-game conference series against the Reddies at 25-14 overall with a 15-6 record among Great American Conference opponents. Tech is coming off a crucial 2-0 single mid-week game victory on the road at Harding where the picked up the season series sweep and moved up to the No. 2 team in the GAC. The Golden Suns are 8-2 in their last 10 games and have won six straight conference series against Southern Arkansas, Harding, Arkansas-Monticello, Southern Nazarene, Oklahoma Baptist and Ouachita Baptist.

Offensively, the Golden Suns are hitting .276 as a team this season (280-for-1014) with 215 runs scored, 54 doubles, three triples and 50 homeruns. Entering the weekend, the Golden Suns have four batters with at least 90 at-bats hitting .300 or better and are led by Tymber Riley's .430 average (52-for-121). Caitlyn Wells also holds a solid average at the plate hitting .407 on the season (46-for-113).

In terms of power numbers, the Golden Suns boast 12 total players who have notched at least one homer on the year. Leading the charge in homeruns for Arkansas Tech is Riley who has launched 11 on the season. Wells  follows closely behind Riley with nine busted homers, while Makenzie Goins has whacked eight and Shelby Chavers has six. Rounding out the list of homerun leaders for the Golden Suns is Holly Crutchfield with five and Brooke Prewitt with three. Leading Tech in RBI's on the season is Goins with 38 and Riley who has collected 34. Closing out the list for the Golden Suns is Wells with 33 RBI's on the season.

In the circle, the Golden Suns have a 2.28 team ERA and have struckout 221 batters in 257.2 total innings.

Eight total pitchers have made at least one appearance inside the circle for Arkansas Tech so far this season. Shannon Lasey leads the team in starts with 18. Bailey Buffington has 13 starts, while Maddy Prough has started seven games. Lasey is 10-5 when starting in the circle and holds a 1.91 ERA, the highest among the Tech starters. The sophomore pitcher has also recorded 72 strikeouts in 84.1 innings pitched and has held opposing bats to just a .188 average at the plate. Buffington is 8-5 with a 2.33 ERA and has collected 65 strikeouts in 75.0 innings of work. She is also holding opposing bats at the plate to just a .206 average. Prough is 5-4 with a 2.88 ERA and has struckout 41 in 48.2 innings. Like the other two starters, Prough holds hitters to a low average of .230 at the plate.

In relief, Kaila Cartwright leads the Golden Suns with 20 total appearances, that includes a start and is 2-0 while boasting a 1.23 ERA. Cartwright has managed to log 36 strikeouts in 40.0 innings and now leads the Golden Suns in saves with three. Lasey has two saves on the year and Prough has one to round the group with saves.