RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Tech softball team picked up a pair of big wins on Sunday at home against Southeastern Oklahoma, and in doing so, clinched a spot in the upcoming 2024 Great American Conference Softball Championship Tournament.
GAME ONE
All of the scoring from the opener would occur in the first inning as the Golden Suns pushed across the lone run of the contest on a triple by
Sydney Keaton.
A half-inning prior to Keaton's RBI, Southeastern Oklahoma threatened to score the game's first run as they loaded the bases with one out in the top of the first. After having the bases loaded against her, however, Tech starter
Jaycee McKee escaped the inning without any damage with a looking strikeout and a harmless groundout to second base.
Even in the bottom of the first, Keaton's big hit almost did not happen as the Golden Suns made two quick outs, but
Maycie Hardy would extend the inning on a first-pitch single through the left side. Keaton then got down 0-2 before battling to a 2-2 count and, eventually, on the 11
th pitch of her at-bat Keaton belted ball to deep centerfield for her RBI triple.
McKee would go on to pitch into the fifth inning having kept the Savage Storm scoreless before being lifted for
Bradi Basler, who got out of the fifth without allowing a run despite Southeastern having two runners in scoring position with one out.
That zero was preserved by Hardy at third base as she made a great play at the plate by tagging the runner at third on the back just before she crossed home plate on an attempted safety squeeze bunt. After that second out, Basler got a lineout to end the inning.
Making just her third relief appearance of the season, Basler would go on to make that one run hold up as she secured her first career save.
GAME TWO
The second game had an eerily similar start to it in the bottom of the first as Hardy singled after the first two outs were made to keep the inning going. Hardy then scored during Keaton's at-bat, this time it was her getting to third on a single to right by Keaton and then scoring on an errant throw by the Southeastern right fielder.
That score held until the top of the fourth when the Savage Storm broke through in the run column and scored twice to take a 2-1 lead.
The Golden Suns, however, had a quick response and scored four runs on four hits in the bottom of the frame to take a 5-2 lead.
Hardy led that inning off with a double and was then pinch-ran for by
Brooklyn Haney. Keaton then doubled home Haney and was pinch-ran for herself by
Kaylyn Aguirre. Aguirre would score during the next at-bat as
Aidan Gorton's sacrifice bunt was thrown away by the SE catcher, also allowing Gorton to get to second.
Zoe Lott was then called upon to pinch-run for Gorton and was moved to third with one out on a sacrifice bunt by
Savannah Snow. Lott scored shortly thereafter on a well-placed bunt single by
Lexi Gorniak. After the second out was made, Arissa Harris drove in the fourth and final run of the frame as she tripled over the head of the Southeastern centerfielder.
In the sixth, the Golden Suns added two more runs of insurance and brough the score to its eventual final of 7-2. Both of those runs scored on a double to left-centerfield by
Shelby Chavers.
UP NEXT
The Golden Suns will go for the series sweep on Monday afternoon. First-pitch is scheduled for Noon.
