RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Tech softball team completed a three-game sweep of Northwestern Oklahoma on Saturday afternoon behind a one-hit shutout from freshman right-hander,
Jenny Shank. Her dominant outing in the circle, which yielded her first collegiate win, was backed by five runs on seven hits and flawless defense.
Four of the five runs scored by the Golden Suns came in the bottom of the third inning. All four of the runs scored were unearned as an error by the NWOSU centerfielder proved costly.
Miya Curry led the inning off with a walk and then stole second. She then scored on that error, allowing
Aubree Jones to reach base and trade places with Curry.
Anna Winkfield then sacrificed Jones to third where she would score on a sacrifice fly off the bat of
Sharlee Jackson.
Aly White then singled to third and on a head's up play, stole second base as the Rangers were lax in getting the ball back in the circle.
That set the stage for
Destiney Madewell's double to left-centerfield to easily score White. The fourth and final run of the inning came on a RBI single up the middle by
Caroline Wilhelm.
The Golden Suns would add their fifth run of the game in bottom of the fifth on a sac fly by Wilhelm.
With that run support in hand, Shank carried a no-hit bid into the top of the seventh. Unfortunately, the no-no was erased in the leadoff at-bat as a pinch-hitter singled up the middle. Despite the no-hitter going away, Shank retired the next three batters in order to secure the shutout victory.
Shank's final line saw her pitch 7.0 innings with one hit allowed, one walk, one hit-by-pitch and seven strikeouts.
The Golden Suns will now prepare for another series at home this coming weekend. They will host nationally-ranked Southern Arkansas and the series is slated to start at 5 p.m. on Friday, February 27.
