RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas Tech softball team put the finishing touches on their third conference sweep of the season on Saturday with a come-from-behind 3-2 win against Southeastern Oklahoma.
The Golden Suns found themselves trailing 2-0 through two innings of play as Southeastern scored single runs in the first and second innings. In the bottom of the third, Tech pushed across their first run of the game on a groundout to shortstop by
Caroline Wilhelm. The productive out from Wilhelm scored
Anna Winkfield, who doubled to lead off the inning three batters earlier.
Tech would threaten to score at least the tying run in each of the next two innings with a runner in scoring position with one out, but the big hit was elusive in the fourth and fifth.
With the game still 2-1 thanks to solid relief pitching from
Emily Richarde, who came on to start the third, the Golden Suns continued to apply pressure and loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the sixth.
Aaliyah Dixon led the inning off with a single to center and then stole second. After the first out was recorded,
Destiney Madewell pinch-hit and was promptly hit-by-a-pitch.
Abby Lowery then pinch-hit and reached first on a fielding error by the Southeastern third baseman, loading the bases with one out.
The Savage Storm were on the verge of getting out of the jam after getting a quick pop out for the second out, but after Curry worked a favorable hitter's count of 3-1, she dropped a single into shallow centerfield to score the tying and go-ahead runs.
Now with a one-run lead, Richarde came back to the circle looking to close out a victory. After she retired the first batter, however, the Savage Storm loaded the bases on two hits and a walk. The walk was more or less intentional to set up a force at any base, including home plate.
That strategy worked as Richarde got a ground ball to Wilhelm at first and she threw home for the force out, keeping Southeastern from scoring. One pitch later, Richarde got another ground ball, this time to Curry at short and she was able to tap the second base bag on her own to end the game.
The Golden Suns will now begin an eight-game road stretch starting with a weekend series at East Central next weekend.
