EDMOND, Okla. - The Arkansas Tech softball team splits their opening pair of games at the Raising Cane's Softball Tournament beating Missouri Southern 5-1 and dropping the second game of the day 3-8 against No. 6 Central Oklahoma. Following today's action, the Golden Suns are 7-5 overall on the season.
GAME ONE
The Golden Suns began their day with a matchup against Missouri Southern. Getting the start in the circle against the Lions was
Bailey Buffington.
To begin the game, Buffington went right to work getting the first batter out on a flyout to right field. While the next batter would hit a single to third base off Buffington, she immediately got back control in the circle and made the Lions hit into a 5-4-3 double play to end the frame.
Neither team was able to put up any runs in the first two innings of play. After another solid inning in the top of the third inning for Buffington, the Golden Sun bats would come alive in the bottom of the frame.
The bottom of the inning began with a leadoff single up the middle for
Shelby Chavers, followed by a single to left field from
Brooke Prewitt that put two on base with no outs for the Golden Suns.
Kaylyn Aguirre opted to go for a sacrifice hit in her at-bat that would advance Chavers and Prewitt ahead one base, but Aguirre would reach first following a throwing error by the Lion third baseman to load the bases with no outs.
Missouri Southern would strike out the next batter in the order for the Golden Suns which would send
Makenzie Addis to the plate. Addis delivered a big time play sending a grand slam into orbit over the left field wall to score all runners and break the game open giving the Golden Suns a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the third.
Following the grand slam, the Lions decided to go for a different look in the circle as the starting pitcher was pulled in favor of a reliever. The new Lions pitcher would give up a single to third base by
Sydney Keaton and would walk
Jessica Williams, but would get the other two outs to send the game into the fourth inning.
In the top of the fourth, the Lions would find their sole run of the game off a single that scored a runner from second.
The Golden Suns would record their final run of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. The play that would score the run started as a walk to Keaton.
Dani Lindsey would then reach first base off a throwing error by the Lions shortstop and Keaton would advance to third to put her in striking distance of the run. Keaton would score the final run of the game for the Golden Suns by stealing home plate to put Tech up 5-1 after five.
From here, Buffington took the reins and finished off the win for the Golden Suns in the circle in the sixth and seventh innings to give her team the 5-1 win over Missouri Southern
Buffington picks up the win in the game to move to 5-1 on the year. She threw a complete seven inning game, allowed seven hits, one run and struckout four in her outing for the Golden Suns.
GAME TWO
In the second game of the day the Golden Suns faced No. 6 Central Oklahoma, with
Bradi Basler getting the start in the circle.
Central Oklahoma would give a leadoff walk to Prewitt to begin the top of the first inning and would advance to second off the sacrifice hit from Aguirre.
Makenzie Goins would score Prewitt with a single to center field to give the Golden Suns an early 1-0.
In the bottom of the frame, the Bronchos would strike back with a big offensive haymaker. Central Oklahoma hit a leadoff single through the left side, then scored two runs as the next batter hit a homerun over the right field wall to take a 2-1 lead over the Golden Suns.
Basler would give up another walk to the next better, but collect her first out with a flyout to centerfield. Following the flyout, the Bronchos would push through a double to right centerfield which put both base runners in scoring position on second and third. Basler would collect the second out on a swinging strikeout, but the Bronchos would send out their second homerun of the inning to score three and extend their lead out to 5-2 to end the first inning of play.
Williams would try and spark some offense into the Golden Sun bats in the top of the second with a double down the left field line. She would advance to third after a single to the pitcher by
Lillee Mahan. Williams would score after Chavers would reach on a fielder's choice as the Bronchos opted to get Mahan out at second, letting the Golden Suns close the scoring gap as they still trailed 2-5 at the end of the second.
Offensively, both sides were quiet in the third inning with no runs scored between the two teams.
In the bottom of the fourth, Central Oklahoma would bring another run across after a runner at third would be sent home following the sac flyout to right field to keep them in front of Tech 6-2.
Arkansas Tech would find their final run of the game in the top of the sixth inning as Addis would hit her second homerun of the day over the left centerfield wall to make it a 3-6 game.
The Bronchos would close out the game in the top of the seventh inning and pickup the 8-3 win over the Golden Suns.
Basler picks up the loss in this one and moves to 2-2 on the year.
The Golden Suns will be back in action tomorrow with another pair of games against Fort Hays State and Nebraska-Kearney. The game against Fort Hays State is set for a 1 p.m. first pitch tomorrow afternoon at Yukon High School in Yukon, Okla. while the second game of the day against Nebraska-Kearney is set for a 6 p.m. first pitch and will be back in Edmond, Okla. at Gerry Pinkston Stadium on the campus of Central Oklahoma.
