RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Tech softball team made its long awaited debut at the Chartwells Women's Sports Complex on Friday and the wait was worth it as the Golden Suns were dominant in their doubleheader sweep against Northwestern Oklahoma. Tech would win the first game 8-0 in five innings and the second game 4-1.
GAME ONE
Arkansas Tech got scoring started in the bottom of the second inning when
Abby Lowery had a RBI groundout to score Sophia Warhmund, who was pinch-running for
Aly White who singled to lead off the inning. Right after Lowery's RBI,
Caroline Wilhelm hit a triple the other way out to deep right field.
Moments later, Wilhelm scored the second run of the inning on a single to shallow right field by
Riley Drake.
An inning later, the Golden Suns loudly scored a pair of runs as
Anna Winkfield and
Sharlee Jackson hit back-to-back home runs to open the third.
In the fourth, Tech added four runs on five hits to push their lead to 8-0. Winkfield added two RBIs to her total for the game with a double. Jackson then laid down a sacrifice bunt to score
Aubree Jones, who walked on four pitches prior to the Winkfield at-bat. White capped the scoring with a RBI double as she traded placed with Winkfield.
All that game one offense was in support of White as she was the starting pitcher as well. She would allow the first two batters to reach in the top of the fifth but got a looking strikeout and then a double play to preserve the shutout and end the game in five innings.
GAME TWO
The second game started off with a bang as Winkfield hit her second home run of the day in the bottom of the first inning. The Rangers managed to tie the score in the top of the second inning, but a clutch two-RBI single up the middle by
Miya Curry drove in
Aaliyah Dixon and put the Golden Suns back on top, 2-1.
In the bottom of the third, the Golden Suns doubled their run total on the strength of a two-run home run by
Destiney Madewell.
That would be all the run support that starting pitcher
Ainslee Moore needed as she went on to pitch a complete game allowing just three hits, one run, walking three and striking out a career-high 10.
UP NEXT
The Golden Suns will go for the sweep on Saturday as the finale is set to be played starting at Noon.
