BRANSON, Mo. – The Arkansas Tech softball team made it a successful 3-1 weekend at the D2 Branson Battle as they split their games on Friday after taking both on Thursday. The Golden Suns would fall in their first game of the day to Pittsburg State, 8-2, but bounced back with a 4-0 shutout over Truman State in their second game.
PITTSBURG STATE
Both teams scored a run in the first inning. The Golden Suns' run scored on a RBI single up the middle by
Anna Winkfield. The score then held at a 1-all tie until the top of the fourth when Pitt State scored a run.
In the fifth, the Gorillas struck for six runs on just two hits in the inning. Unfortunately, both of the hits were home runs and those accounted for five of the runs scored.
Despite that tough inning, the Golden Suns would not allow Pitt State to score again in the game and put together a rally in the bottom of the seventh that resulted in a run scoring on a single to left off the bat of Winkfield.
TRUMAN STATE
The nightcap for the Golden Suns was a scoreless tie until the top of the fourth inning when they pushed across a run on aggressive baserunning by pinch-runner
Sophia Wahrmund. Wahrmund had come on to pinch-run for
Sharlee Jackson, who led off the inning with a single to left. Wahrmund then promptly stole second and after the first out was recorded, she stole third and scored on the same play on an errant throw by the Truman shortstop as the Bulldogs threw behind Wahrmund.
It would remain a tight 1-0 game until the sixth when the Golden Suns scored a pair of runs. The first run scored on a sacrifice bunt by
Destiney Madewell while the second came on a RBI single up the middle by
Caroline Wilhelm.
The Golden Suns added a run of insurance in the top of the seventh on a successful double steal by
Anna Winkfield and
Aubree Jones with Winkfield getting second and Jones scoring.
Those extra runs of insurance over the sixth and seventh innings proved to be more than enough for reliever
Emily Richarde as she handled the final 5.1 innings in the circle without allowing a run. She would scatter five hits, walked none and struck out three.
UP NEXT
The Golden Suns will now prepare to make their home debut next weekend as they also begin Great American Conference play against Northwestern Oklahoma. The three-game series is set to begin with a doubleheader on Friday, February 20 starting at 3 p.m. and conclude with a single game at Noon on Saturday.
