WEATHERFORD, Okla. – The Arkansas Tech softball team captured their third Great American Conference Regular Season Championship and first out-right title since 2016 as they beat Southwestern Oklahoma, 3-1, on the final day of the regular season to complete a three-game sweep.
Coming into the day, the Golden Suns controlled their destiny as far as at least claiming a share of the GAC Regular Season title needing to only win their game at SWOSU. To have it out-right and be the No. 1-seed in the upcoming conference tournament, the Golden Suns needed help from Southern Arkansas and for the Muleriders to salvage a game in their series with Oklahoma Baptist, who swept the doubleheader at SAU on Saturday.
The Golden Suns were first to play with their series finale starting at Noon while the SAU-OKB game was scheduled to start at 1 p.m.
The first three innings of the Golden Suns' game was scoreless, but Tech cracked the scoreboard first in the top of the fourth on a leadoff home run by
Aubree Jones. The homer was the 10
th of the season for the freshman.
Southwestern Oklahoma was able to respond back with a run in their half of the fourth on a sacrifice fly.
In the fifth, the Golden Suns regained the lead on a RBI groundout from Jones that scored
Anna Winkfield, who had singled earlier in the inning. Winkfield would go on to provide the third and final run of the game for the Golden Suns as she hit a solo home run in the top of the seventh. That homer was her 10
th of the year as well.
That extra run support in the top of the seventh proved to be more than enough for
Emily Richarde as the junior, who had come on in relief after a leadoff double in the bottom of the fourth, worked around a leadoff baserunner and retired the next three batters to end the game and give the Golden Suns at least a share of the GAC Regular Season Championship.
Now, it was a waiting game for the Golden Suns as they all turned their eyes to Magnolia where SAU had pulled even with Oklahoma Baptist at 3-all in the bottom of the sixth.
Neither team would score in the seventh, sending the game to extra innings. In the top of the eighth, SAU retired the side in order to keep it tied and give them a chance in the bottom half. The Muleriders would get their leadoff batter on thanks to an error in centerfield. That error also allowed the leadoff hitter to make second, immediately putting her in scoring position.
Oklahoma Baptist then retired the next two batters and were close to getting out of the inning and forcing a ninth but issued a full count walk to extend the inning. The Bison then fell behind in the count to the next hitter, 3-1, before the Golden Suns got the clutch hit they were collectively hoping for as SAU singled to right to drive in the game-winning run, and in turn, giving the Golden Suns the out-right GAC Regular Season Championship.
As the No. 1-seed, the Golden Suns will now prepare for an opening round game against No. 8-seed Ouachita Baptist. That game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start on Thursday, May 7 from the Wolverine Athletic Complex in Bentonville.
