BRANSON, Mo. – The Arkansas Tech softball team opened up their 2026 season on Sunday and played games against Sioux Falls and No. 11-ranked Central Oklahoma. The Golden Suns would split those games, beating USF 8-3 and then narrowly falling to UCO, 9-8.
SIOUX FALLS
The Golden Suns were the first to score in the game with USF, doing so in the top of the second inning on an infield single from
Aaliyah Dixon.
Sharlee Jackson got that inning going with a leadoff walk and then was pinch-ran for by
Sophia Wahrmund. Wahrmund then stole second base to allow her to score on Dixon's infield single two batters later.
A leadoff double by Sioux Falls in the bottom of the frame came around to score and tie the score at 1-all. In the fourth, the Cougars took a 3-1 lead by scoring a pair of runs on two hits. The Golden Suns, however, were quick to respond in the next half inning and tied the score at 3-all on the strength of a two-run home run to right field from freshman
Aubree Jones.
The Golden Suns then went on to score two more runs in the sixth and three in the seventh to account for their eight runs.
In the sixth, the runs were scored on a RBI triple from Dixon and an infield single by
Riley Drake. In the seventh, the Golden Suns scored a bases loaded hit-by-pitch to Jackson, a single up the middle by
Anna Winkfield and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Dixon.
Aly White was the starting pitcher and picked up the win. She would pitch 5.0 innings, allow four hits, three runs (one earned) with no walks and five strikeouts.
Jenny Shank made her collegiate debut in the circle and pitched 2.0 perfect innings while racking up four strikeouts as she earned the save.
CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
Just like they did in the game with USF, the Golden Suns were able to score first, doing so this time with three runs in the bottom of the first.
Caroline Wilhelm led the inning off with a hit-by-pitch and then scored on the second home run of the day for
Aubree Jones. Four batters later,
Sophia Wahrmund singled home
Aaliyah Dixon, who previously reached base on a throwing error by the UCO shortstop.
UCO, unfortunately, had an immediate answer and scored seven runs on five hits in the second inning to go up 7-3.
That score held until the bottom of the fourth when the Golden Suns tied the game on a grand slam from
Aly White.
UCO broke the 7-all score in the top of the sixth on a clutch two-out infield single. Tech was then retired in order in the bottom half. The Bronchos took advantage of that and added a run of insurance in the top of the seventh.
In the bottom of the seventh, White would lead off with an infield single. Three batters later, White scored on a clutch two-out RBI by Wahrmund. UCO retired the next batter to end the game.
UP NEXT
The Golden Suns will now get ready to play two more games at the Branson Leadoff Classic on Monday. They are slated to play Upper Iowa at 11:30 a.m. and McKendree at 3 p.m.
