ALVA, Okla. – The Arkansas Tech softball team opened up Great American Conference play on Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader at Northwestern Oklahoma. The Golden Suns would end splitting the twin-bill that saw a combined 41 runs scored as they won the second game, 13-11.
GAME ONE
In the opener, the Golden Suns raced out to a 2-0 lead and scored both of their runs without the benefit of a hit as
Caroline Wilhelm had a bases loaded sacrifice fly and
Lexi Gorniak had a bases loaded walk. NWOSU answered right back in the bottom of the frame, however, with two runs of their own.
The Golden Suns then retook the lead in the top of the fourth and added two more in the top of the fifth. The run in the fourth scored on a RBI single to center by
Addy Ward, while the two in the fifth were plated on a triple by
Anna Winkfield.
Unfortunately, NWOSU would go on to score six runs in the bottom of the fifth to go up 8-5 and then added four more in the sixth to bring the score to its final of 12-5.
GAME TWO
In the second game, the Golden Suns wasted no time in building out a big lead as they scored seven runs on six hits in the inning. The big blow in the frame was a grand slam by
Anna Winkfield.
Kacie Gibbins,
Addy Ward, and
Neveah Wilson all picked up RBIs in the first inning as well.
Northwestern would get two of those runs back in their half of the first, but Tech's offense continued to produce in the second inning as they scored six runs on six hits that frame. In that inning,
Lexi Gorniak picked up two RBIs on a sacrifice fly, while Wilson,
Sadie Turner,
Maycie Hardy and
Sharlee Jackson had RBI base hits. Wilson's was a triple, Turner and Jackson's were singles while Hardy's was a double.
That would be all of the scoring the Golden Suns would do in the game and it was just enough as Northwestern scored nine unanswered runs over innings three through six.
The Golden Suns were able to hold the Rangers scoreless when it mattered the most, in the bottom of the seventh to secure the win.
UP NEXT
The Golden Suns and Rangers will conclude their three-game series with a rubber game scheduled to start at 11 a.m. on Sunday morning.
