Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 CLAREMORE, Okla. - Hot off their GAC series win against Henderson State this past weekend, the Arkansas Tech softball team kept things rolling into their nonconference mid-week doubleheader on the road at No. 1 Rogers State. The Golden Suns took home the win against the No. 1 team in the country in the first game 4-3 and gave the Hillcats a run for their money in the second game, but ultimately fell 3-5. 

GAME ONE
The Golden Suns picked up a great win in the first game of the afternoon against Rogers State. Tech led the entire game as they never once gave up their lead to the Hillcats. 

Rogers State began the game giving a leadoff walk to Brooke Prewitt. Then, Lillee Mahan would reach first base on a fielder's choice as the Hillcats opted to get Prewitt out at second. Tech would eventually find themselves with two runners on as the Hillcats would walk Makenzie Goins to first base.

With two outs in the top of the first, Makenzie Addis stepped up for her first at-bat of the afternoon and smashed a monster homerun over the centerfield wall to deliver a huge 3-0 advantage to the Golden Suns in the first inning of play. 

The homerun by Addis marked the sixth of the season for the Tulsa, Okla. native and the 37th of her career passing Tiphani Moon and Tymber Riley to become the program record holder in all-time career homeruns for the Golden Suns. 

Moving to the bottom of the frame, the Hillcats would strike back with a leadoff double. A groundout would advance the runner at second to third and a single through the right side would bring across the first run of the game for Rogers State. 

Starting pitcher for the Golden Suns, Bailey Buffington, would only allow the Hillcats to score that single run in the inning. 

Kaylyn Aguirre would start the offense in the top of the second with a single up the middle and would advance to second on a sacrifice bunt by Kassie Mayberry. A single to right center field from Shelby Chavers would put runners on the corners for Arkansas Tech. The single by Chavers would force the Hillcats into a pitching change as they chose to go with a different look in the circle. 

The Golden Suns final run of the game would come off a groundout bunt that led to a throwing error at home plate by the Hillcat first baseman allowing Aguirre to strike home and give the Golden Suns a 4-1 lead after two innings of action. 

The next and final burst of offense in the game would come in the bottom of the third from Rogers State. The bottom of the frame began with a leadoff walk, followed by a single to third base. Buffington would then get the next two hitters in the order out for Rogers State. The scoring play for the Hillcats came off a single that scored the two runners on as the Golden Suns still held a 4-3 lead.

From there, Buffington would close out the game and pick up the win in the circle throwing a complete game against the No. 1 team in the country to move to 9-2 on the season. 

GAME TWO
In game two of the afternoon, the Golden Suns would continue to hold their own against the Hillcats. Getting the start in the circle for game two was Bradi Basler. 

Just like in game one, The Golden Suns would strike early in the opening inning of play with a pair of runs. Goins would get the inning started with a two out single to right field, while Jessica Williams would take her base on a walk as Goins would shift over to second. Addis would reach base on an error by the Hillcat right fielder that would advance her all the way to third base as both Williams and Goins would score on the error by Rogers State. The Golden Suns would end the top of the first holding a 2-0 lead. 

Rogers State would get their chance for a response in the bottom of the second inning as two singles in the bottom of the frame would bring across base runners to end the inning tied with the Golden Suns 2-2. 

Basler would shut down the offense in the bottom of the third not letting Rogers State put up another run to keep her team in the fight. 

In the top of the fourth, Addis would crush a leadoff double to right field to start the inning strong. Addis would then advance to third on a groundout and would score the final run of the day for the Golden Suns on a groundout to the Hillcat shortstop as Kacie Gibbins would collect the RBI and help get the lead back for Tech at 3-2. 

Once again, Basler put in solid work in the bottom of the frame logging three straight outs to send the game into the fifth inning of action. 

Neither team would record a run in the fifth inning of play, but Rogers State would put up their final runs of the day in the bottom of the sixth. 

The Hillcats would begin the bottom of the sixth with a leadoff double that would lead to a double to centerfield that would score a run tying the game at 3-3. Later in the inning, Rogers State would be hit by a pitch putting two on which they capitalized on with a single down the right field line that scored both runners on giving the Hillcats a 5-3 lead over the Golden Suns.

Arkansas Tech would pick up a single in the top of the seventh, but Rogers State would close out the game and escape with the 5-3 win in game two as the Golden Suns split the day.

UP NEXT
The Golden Suns will be back to GAC action this weekend as they return home to host Ouachita Baptist in a weekend conference series at the Chartwells Complex. The series will begin with game one on Friday set for a 4 p.m. first pitch. Then, the series will wrap on Saturday with first pitch for doubleheader action set for noon at Chartwells.