RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. - The Arkansas Tech softball team splits their Saturday afternoon doubleheader with Arkansas-Monticello to begin their weekend Great American Conference series action. Following today's doubleheader, the Golden Suns are now 23-14 overall with a 12-6 record against GAC opponents.
GAME ONE
The first game of the afternoon started off tough for Arkansas Tech as UAM managed to hit a leadoff homerun to quickly take an early 1-0 lead. Following the homer, starting pitcher
Bailey Buffington would compose herself and record a strikeout as well as pick up a double play to send out the Golden Sun bats for their first chance on offense for the day.
Arkansas-Monticello would strike another blow in the top of the second with a leadoff double to centefield. Following the double, the Cotton Blossoms would find their way over the wall for the second time in the game with a two run homerun to take a 3-0 lead.
Once again, the Cotton Blossoms would score another run in the top of the third of a single to left field, which had them up 4-0 against the Golden Suns heading into the bottom of the third inning.
In the bottom of the frame, the Golden Suns would strike the board with a two out RBI single by
Makenzie Addis to score
Brooke Prewitt on third to make it a 4-1 game.
The Golden Suns would tack on another run in the bottom of the fourth that began with a double to centerfield by
Dani Lindsey.
Kassie Mayberry would follow Lindsey with a double of her own to right centerfield which brought Lindsey home to give Tech another run and make it a 2-4 deficit heading into the fifth inning of action.
Kaila Cartwright would come in to replace Buffington in the circle to begin the top of the fifth and would close out the game there.
The Cotton Blossoms would put up their final run of the game in the top of the fifth off a single that scored a run to take a 5-2 lead over the Golden Suns. Their 5-2 lead would result in the final score of the game as UAM would take game one of the weekend and the first game of the doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.
GAME TWO
In game two, the Golden Suns would strike back and shutdown the Cotton Blossom offense.
Bradi Basler would go the distance for the Golden Suns in her start to earn her seventh win of the year to go alongside her second shutout on the season.
Overall, the start of game two was all defense with no runs scored between either team through the first two full innings of play as the game headed into the third inning.
In the top of the frame, Basler would collect two swinging strikeouts on the Cotton Blossoms en route to holding their offense to no runs once again through three solid innings of work inside the circle.
The bottom of the frame would see the Golden Sun bats catch fire.
Kaylyn Aguirre began the hot third inning offense for Tech with a leadoff single through the left side. Following another at-bat that resulted in a strikeout, Prewitt would make her way to the plate.
In Prewitt's at-bat, she would hit a pop up to the Cotton Blossom first baseman in foul territory who would drop the routine pop fly to keep Prewitt's at-bat alive. The error by the UAM first baseman would allow Prewitt to crank a hard double to right field to put both herself and Aguirre in prime scoring position for the Golden Suns as
Makenzie Goins headed to the plate.
Goins would break the game wide open crushing a one out three run bomb over the left field wall to give the Golden Suns a 3-0 lead. Following a walk to Addis, the Cotton Blossoms would go for a change in the circle replacing their starting pitcher.
After the pitching change, Addis would steal second and would advance to third following a single by
Jessica Williams putting runners on the corners for Tech.
Lexi Gorniak would replace Williams at first as a pinch runner and would immediately steal second base to set up two runners in scoring position for the Golden Suns.
Still with just one out and runners in scoring position for Tech, Mayberry would put through a brilliantly place bunt to the UAM pitcher reaching first, pushing Gorniak over to third and allowing Addis to strike home plate to give Tech a 4-0 lead.
Lindsey would follow Mayberry with a single to first base that would bring home Gorniak and push Mayberry over to second.
Kacie Gibbins would continue the hitting party sending out the fourth straight single by the Tech offense to load the bases with still just one out on the board.
Now up 5-0, Tech decided to put in
Abigail Lochala as a pinch hitter for Aguirre. Lochala would make it five straight singles for the Golden Suns with one a long one to centerfield that would drive in both Lindsey and Mayberry to take a 7-0 lead over the Cotton Blossoms.
The final run of the inning would be scored on a sacrifice flyout to left field by
Shelby Chavers that would score one more run and give the Golden Suns a commanding 8-0 lead after just three innings of play.
In the bottom of the fourth, the Golden Suns would score their final run of the game off a sac flyout by Lindsey to score Addis and give Tech a strong 9-0 lead.
Basler would close out her strong performance in the circle in the top of the fifth inning to secure her shutout and give the Golden Suns the dominant 9-0 shutout run rule win over the Cotton Blossoms.
UP NEXT
The Golden Suns will look to go for the GAC series win over Arkansas-Monticello in the final game of the weekend slate at the Chartwells Women's Sports Complex tomorrow. First pitch for game three of the weekend is set for noon tomorrow.
