EDMOND, Okla. – The Arkansas Tech softball team made relative light work of a pair of in-region opponents from the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) on Saturday as they beat Fort Hays State, 9-1 in six innings and Nebraska-Kearney 12-3.
The two in-region wins improved the Golden Suns' record at this weekend's Raising Cane's Softball Festival to 3-1 and their overall record to 9-5. The Suns will have one final game at the festival on Sunday and it's a big-time test against another MIAA foe, No. 1-ranked and defending National Champions, Rogers State.
GAME ONE
In their game against Fort Hays State, the Golden Suns got scoring right away as
Makenzie Goins hit a solo home run out to left-centerfield in the bottom of the first inning. Fort Hays answered back in the next half-inning with a RBI single to right field.
The game would not stay tied long as
Kassie Mayberry reached on fielding error by the Tigers' right fielder, allowing Lillie Mahan to score on the play. That would prove to be all the run support
Bailey Buffington would need as she proceeded shutout the Tigers the rest of the way out en route to her sixth win of the season.
In her time in the circle, Buffington scattered five hits, allowed the one aforementioned run, walked none and struck out three.
While the two runs would have been enough for Buffington, the Golden Suns' offense continued its power surge over the middle innings.
In the fourth,
Shelby Chavers hit a two-run home run to centerfield. An inning later,
Makenzie Addis connected for a two-run homer of her own to centerfield. That homer was the fifth of the young season for Addis and the 36
th of her career, tying her for the career record for home runs at Tech with former Golden Suns greats,
Tymber Riley and Tiphani Moon.
The Suns would go on to plate two more runs in the sixth to bring on the eight-after-seven run-rule. Goins was responsible for the first run with a single to center.
Riley Drake then ended the game with a RBI single to center. The hit and RBI were both the first at the collegiate level for Drake.
GAME TWO
In the second game, the bats for the Golden Suns heated up quickly and stayed hot throughout the game as they racked up a season-high 14 hits against Nebraska-Kearney.
The offensive attack started in the top of the first as the Golden Suns scored three runs on four hits in the opening stanza. The run-scoring hits came from Addis on a two-RBI double, which was followed by a RBI single through the left side by
Jessica Williams.
As was the case in the first game of the day, the early lead unfortunately did not last long as the Lopers scored three runs of their own in the bottom of the frame. All three of those runs scored without the benefit of a hit as the Lopers drew a trio of walks, took advantage of a Tech fielding error and hit a sacrifice fly.
Undeterred by the loss of the early lead, the Golden Suns wasted no time in getting back in the lead with a run in the top of the second. That run was scored by Chavers as she scampered home on a wild pitch.
The Golden Suns continued to be relentless in their trips to the plate, scoring three runs in the fourth, one in the fifth, and two in the sixth and seventh innings respectively.
In the fourth,
Brooke Prewitt scored on a throwing error by the Lopers' right fielder. Later that inning,
Bradi Basler, who was also the starting pitcher in the game, helped her own cause with a two-RBI double to left-centerfield.
In the fifth, Goins tripled home Chavers and in the sixth, Kacie Gibbons doubled in Basler while Chavers singled her home in the very next at-bat.
In the seventh, Drake reached on an error by the Lopers' second baseman, which allowed
Abigail Lochala to score an unearned run. Drake then scored as Basler drove her in on a double to left field.
At the plate, Basler ended 3-for-5 with three RBIs. That was in support of her own effort in the circle where she pitched a complete game and allowed just to hits. She would allow three unearned runs and walk six, but struck out a season-high seven batters.
UP NEXT
The Golden Sun will now have a quick turnaround as they will close their time at the Raising Cane's Softball Festival against the No. 1-ranked team in DII, Rogers State. First-pitch against the Hillcats is scheduled for 10 a.m.
