CONROE, Texas - The Arkansas Tech softball team opens the 2023 season with a perfect 2-0 record after dispatching Texas A&M International 5-0 and knocking off No. 18 Angelo State 7-3. The Golden Suns still face two more days and four more opponents on the weekend at the UT-Tyler Winter Classic. Head coach of the Golden Suns, Jordon Jones, begins her first season at the helm of the program with a strong showing and a 2-0 record.

Game One
The Golden Suns opened their season against Texas A&M International for their first game in the UT-Tyler Winter Classic. 

Both sides stayed quiet in the first inning of play, but the Golden Suns would find their first opportunity to strike the board in the second inning. Makenzie Addis would open the inning at the plate for the Golden Suns and would take to first base following a hit by pitch from the Texas A&M International pitcher. The HBP to Addis set up a bunt opportunity for Makenzie Goins who got the bunt through to pick up a single and advance Addis all the way to third base. 

Following her single, Goins would steal second base to put two in scoring position for the Golden Suns with Jessica Williams at the plate. Williams would send a sacrifice flyout to right field to bring in Addis for the first run of the season for Arkansas Tech giving them a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. The Dustdevils would collect two straight outs to send the game into the third inning following the scoring play by Williams. 

Picking up her first start in the circle for the Golden Suns this season was Bailey Buffington who was already putting in work with two strikeouts heading into the third inning of action. In the top of the third, Buffington continued her effort from the second inning and collected three straight outs, two of which were strikeouts, to bring out the Golden Sun bats once again.

The bottom of the third would produce the most runs for the Golden Suns against the Dustdevils. The Golden Suns got right to work striking the board again as Kaylyn Aguirre would send out a bunt single to the Texas A&M International third baseman, but a throwing error by the third baseman would be enough for Aguirre to tag all bases and make it across home plate to score on the throwing error giving the Golden Suns a 2-0 lead. 

Following the at bat from Aguirre, Shelby Chavers was due back up in the order and would walk to first and steal second. Brooke Prewitt would follow Chavers with a walk of her own, but would advance to second following a bad throw as Chavers was able to steal third base. Bradi Basler would hit a sacrifice bunt out to bring across Chavers to score, but would end up on first base after another throwing error on the Dustdevils. The throwing error also allowed for Prewitt to cross third base and score the third run of the inning to put the Golden Suns up 4-0 in the bottom of the third. The runs by Chavers and Prewitt would close out the scoring runs for Tech in the third as they head into the fourth inning. 

In the top of the fourth inning, Buffington would allow two hits to the Dustdevils, but would quickly compose herself and pick up three strikeouts to move her total to seven on the day. Buffington would collect another strikeout in the top of the fifth inning. 

The final run of the game for the Golden Suns came in the bottom of the sixth inning that began with Chavers taking her base after a hit by pitch sending Prewitt up to bat. Prewitt would drive in the final nail in the coffin with a strong triple out to right field to bring across Chavers and give the Golden Suns a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. 

Buffington would put away the rest of the game for the Golden Suns inside the circle in the top of the seventh collecting three straight outs, including her final strikeout of the game, to give her team the 5-0 shutout win to start the 2023 season.

Overall, Buffington pitched a complete game in the circle for the Golden Suns going a full seven innings. She allowed five hits and only one walk and struckout nine total batters in the Dustdevils lineup.

Game Two
Heading into the second game of the afternoon, the Golden Suns were set to go head-to-head against No. 18 Angelo State and would carry their success from the first game into this second matchup. Getting the start in the circle for game two was Basler. 

For the first two innings of play, both sides would be unable to get any runs across leaving the game in a 0-0 stalemate heading into the top of the third inning, In the circle, Basler would collect her first two strikeouts across the opening two innings of play. 

The Golden Suns would be the team to strike the scoreboard first with a pair of runs in the third inning that started with a walk to Kassie Mayberry. A sac bunt by Aguirre would advance Mayberry to second base and in scoring position for Arkansas Tech. It would ultimately be Chavers would bring across the first run of the game as she crushed a double out to left center field to score Mayberry and give the Golden Suns the lead at 1-0.

Prewitt would follow the hit by Chavers with a single to centerfield to put Chavers on third base. Basler would be the next batter at the plate for the Golden Suns. Prewitt would be thrown out after being caught attempting to steal second base, but Chavers would take advantage of the opportunity and bolt home on the throw to give the Golden Suns a 2-0 advantage. Heading into the bottom of the third, the Golden Suns would maintain their 2-0 lead. 

Basler came out in the bottom of the frame and collected three straight outs to keep the Golden Suns in front. In the bottom of the fourth, Basler gave up a leadoff hit, but quickly collected herself to get another three straight outs and get the Golden Sun bats back out to the plate. 

The Rambelles would open the top of the fifth hitting Mayberry on a pitch to send her to first base. Aguirre would once again get across another successful sac bunt to advance Mayberry to second base and put her in scoring position for Tech. This time, Prewitt would drive in the run hitting a hard double down the left field line to bring around Mayberry for the run and extend the Golden Sun lead out to 3-0.

With Prewitt at second following her double, Basler would walk putting two on base with Addis headed to the plate. Addis would blow the game wide open for the Golden Suns delivering the biggest play of the day as she launched a three run bomb over the left field wall to give her team a commanding 6-0 lead to close out the top of the fifth and put the pressure on the No. 18 team in the country. 

The Rambelles would respond in the bottom of the frame scoring their first run of the day to make it a 6-1 ball game. 

Sydney Keaton would get the Golden Sun bats started in the top of the sixth inning with a single out to left center field to put one on base with no outs for the Golden Suns. Aguirre would reach first on a fielder's choice after Angelo State opted to get Keaton out at second. Following the fielder's choice, Chavers hit a single out to right field to put Aguirre in scoring position on second base. Once again, Prewitt would drive in the run smacking a double down the left field line to bring across Aguirre and give Arkansas Tech a 7-1 lead to close out the top of the sixth inning. 

Angelo State would find a solo homerun in the bottom of the sixth to make it a 7-2 game, but Basler reigned in control and struck out the next two batters swinging to keep the Golden Suns in front heading into the final inning. 

The Golden Suns would not find a run in the top of the seventh, which led to the last chance for the Rambelles to make a comeback. While Angleo State would hit another solo homerun, Basler would once again take control in the circle and collect the final few outs to give the Golden Suns their 7-3 win over No. 18 Angelo State and finish their opening day of games with a perfect 2-0 record. 

Basler rounded out her day in the circle throwing a complete seven inning game. She gave up six hits, three runs and a walk, while collecting six total strikeouts on the day. 

The Golden Suns will be back in action again tomorrow for day two of the UT-Tyler Winter Classic. Tech is set to face another pair of teams in St. Mary's and Oklahoma Christian. The game against St. Mary's is set for a 1:15 p.m. first pitch tomorrow, while first pitch against Oklahoma Christian is set to go at 3:30 p.m. tomorrow afternoon in Texas. 













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