PHOTO | Destini Nguyen
The Arkansas Tech softball team splits the day with Reddies on the road in their doubleheader, but a win in game three gave the Golden Suns the 2-1 series win. Following today, the Golden Suns are 13-7 overall with a 4-1 record in GAC play.
In the day’s opening game, Bradi Basler got the start in the circle for the Golden Suns and would go the full length of the game. The Golden Suns walked the first two Reddie batters in the bottom of the first to put two on early. Then, Henderson State hit a three-run home run to take an early 3-0 lead over the Golden Suns.
Basler collected herself in the circle following the homerun to get three straight outs and send out the Arkansas Tech bats.
Makenzie Addis hit a leadoff single up the middle to get things started in the top of the second. Following the single by Addis, Jessica Williams would hit a single of her own to centerfield. A sacrifice bunt by Lillee Mahan would push ahead both Addis and Williams one base in scoring positions at second and third.
Basler hit a groundout to the Reddie first baseman that would give Addis enough room to strike home plate for the lone run of the inning, heading into the bottom of the frame at a 1-3 deficit.
Basler put in work in the bottom of the frame, collecting three straight outs to put the Golden Suns back on offense once again.
Shelby Chavers was leading off the top of the third, who smashed a big triple to left center field to open up the inning strong for the Golden Suns. Following the triple, Brooke Prewitt would send out a single to right field to pick up the RBI as Chavers would run home to score to make it a 2-3 game.
Kaylyn Aguirre would send Prewitt ahead to second on a sac bunt, and Prewitt would follow by stealing third base. However, the Reddies would close out the inning and only allow the single run by Tech to keep their narrow 3-2 lead.
For the remainder of the game, neither team would put up another run as it became a pitching duel. Ultimately, the Reddies would barely escape with a narrow 3-2 win in the opening game of the day.
Basler finished her day in the circle going the full six innings. She allowed three runs on four hits and struck out four total batters in her time in the circle.
Game two and the series’ final game proved to be yet another pitching duel. For the Golden Suns, Bailey Buffington earned the start for the second game of the doubleheader.
Buffington went to work to start game two getting three-of-four batters down on outs in the first two innings of action.
In the top of the third inning, the Golden Suns would get a single from Chavers to start the inning, but the Reddies would ultimately shut down the offense to keep the game at 0-0 after three full innings of action.
In the top of the fourth, the Golden Suns would find another leadoff single by way of Addis, but once again the Reddies would hold strong and keep Arkansas Tech from taking advantage of their runners on base.
At the bottom of the fifth, Kaila Cartwright would replace Buffington in the circle. In her first inning within the circle, Cartwright put in work recording three straight outs to send the game into the sixth inning.
The Golden Suns would begin the sixth with a big-time double busted to left center field by Makenzie Goins. Addis would push Goins to third with a sac fly out. Following the flyout, Williams would break the game open with a huge double to right center field to score Goins and give the Golden Suns the 1-0 lead. Arissa Harrish would pinch run for Williams at first following her double.
Kacie Gibbins would add to the hit fest with a single to center field and advance to second on the throw to put two in scoring position for the Golden Suns. The Reddies would lockdown the offense once again, however, to end the top of the sixth.
Cartwright would give up a leadoff single in the bottom of the frame but would compose herself and get the next three Reddie hitters out.
The first bit of action in the top of the seventh came on a walk to Chavers, who then stole second to put her in scoring position. The Reddies would walk their second straight batter as Prewitt would head to first. Following a groundout, Goins would deliver the play of the game, smacking a two-run triple to the right field wall to give the Golden Suns some insurance runs and extend their lead out to 3-0.
Henderson State would score their lone run of the game in the bottom of the seventh off a single that scored a runner, but Cartwright would hold her ground and give the Golden Suns the 3-1 win and the 2-1 series victory on the road against Henderson State.
