RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Tech softball team took both games of their doubleheader at home against Arkansas-Monticello on Friday as the Golden Suns won the opener, 9-1 in six innings and the second game 5-3.
GAME ONE
In the opener, the Golden Suns wasted little time in taking control as they kept UAM off the board in the top of the first and came back to score four runs on four hits in the bottom half.
That opening trip to the plate for the Golden Suns started with consecutive walks drawn by
Sadie Turner and
Kacie Gibbins. Both then moved up 60 feet quickly on a wild pitch.
Anna Winkfield then drove in the first run on a single to left and then stole second. After the first out of the inning was recorded,
Caroline Wilhelm drove in Gibbins on a well-placed bunt single to third.
On that same play, Winkfield was awarded home on interference for the third run of the inning. In the next at-bat,
Savannah Snow doubled to score Wilhelm.
That 4-0 score lasted until the bottom of the fourth when the Golden Suns scored a run on a RBI double from Wilhelm. UAM would then break up the shutout in their half of the fifth on a solo home run, but Tech answered with two runs in the bottom half.
In that fifth, Gibbins collected a RBI on a groundout while Winkfield singled up the middle for a RBI.
After a scoreless top of the sixth, the Golden Suns did not wait long to end the game early via the eight-run rule as the third batter of the inning,
Aly White, hit a two-run home run to bring the score to its final of 9-1. Just prior to White's game-ender,
Sharlee Jackson had hit a one-out double.
Picking up the win in the circle for Tech was
Alexis Findley. She would pitch a complete game and limited UAM to one run on three hits. Findley would also strikeout nine while allowing one walk.
GAME TWO
The second game started with a run by UAM in the top of the first, but the Golden Suns were able to quickly respond with a solo homer from Gibbins in the bottom half. In the second, Tech took a one-run lead themselves with a RBI single from
Neveah Wilson.
Two innings later, the lead was 3-0 thanks to a RBI double from
Lexi Gorniak. UAM was able to tie the game at three-all with a pair of runs in the top of the fifth.
After not being able to score in the fifth, Tech would score twice in the bottom of the sixth to take a 5-3 lead. Wilhelm led the inning off with a double and later came around to score on a RBI single up the middle from White. Later in the inning,
Maycie Hardy scored the second run on a RBI single to left from Turner.
Bradi Basler picked up the win in relief. She would pitch 3.0 innings and allowed no runs on just one hit. She would walk two but struck out four.
UP NEXT
The Golden Suns will look to complete the series sweep on Saturday. The finale is scheduled to start at 11 a.m.
