SOFTBALL SET FOR THIS WEEKEND'S GSC CROSSOVER TOURNAMENT

        RUSSELLVILLE, Arkansas – Arkansas Tech Golden Suns Softball is set to play six games over a span of four days at the 2008 Gulf South Conference Crossover Tournament which begins Thursday at Wilson-Morgan Park in Decatur, Ala.

Tech enters this year’s GSC Crossover as one of the most improved teams in the league as the Golden Suns are sporting a 31-9 overall record and have a 13-3 mark in the GSC. The 13 GSC wins ties a school record for league wins in a season, while the 31 overall victories is a new single-season school mark. All six games at the crossover will count as GSC contests.

“We’re excited about this weekend’s GSC Crossover Tournament,” Golden Suns Head Coach Gidget Pambianchi said. “We have had some success this season against the East Division and I’m hoping we can continue those successes this weekend.”

The Golden Suns, who are 3-3 this season against East Division foes, open this year’s crossover on Thursday, April 10 with a 4 p.m. contest against 12th-ranked Valdosta State (33-9 overall, 9-3 GSC). On Friday, April 11, Tech will face West Georgia (22-20 overall, 3-8 GSC) at 12 p.m. and No. 1 ranked Alabama-Huntsville (37-6 overall, 8-4 GSC) at 4 p.m. Tech will face West Florida (28-17 overall, 8-6 GSC) on Saturday, April 12 at 4 p.m., before concluding the tournament on Sunday, April 13 against West Alabama (21-21 overall, 1-10 GSC) at 10 a.m. and North Alabama (20-15 overall, 8-6 GSC) at 12 p.m.

On the season, Tech has collected wins over Valdosta State (2-1) and North Alabama (4-3) and lost by identical 2-0 scores twice to Alabama-Huntsville at the UAM/Super 8 Motel Tournament in Monticello, Ark., and split a doubleheader in Pensacola, Fla., against West Florida, losing 7-5 in 10 innings in the first game and earning a 2-0 win in the second game of the twinbill.

Since joining the league in 2004, Tech is 6-12 all-time in the GSC Crossover Tournament, but has lost four straight games in the tournament dating to 2006.

With three weeks remaining in the regular season, Tech sits tied atop the West Division standings with Henderson State (33-9 overall, 13-3 GSC). The Golden Suns are seeking its first-ever appearance in the GSC Tournament and will finish up the regular season with eight straight games against Arkansas-Monticello (13-21 overall, 6-6 GSC) and Henderson State. The top four teams in the West Division advance to the GSC Tournament, which will be held on May 2-4 at Greenbrooke Park in Southaven, Miss.

Tech enters the GSC Crossover hitting .299 as a team, which is sixth in the latest GSC statistics. Junior rightfielder Sarah Pratt (Garland, Texas) leads the Golden Suns with a .380 batting average. In addition, she leads the team in hits (52), runs scored (31), stolen bases (16) and at-bats (137). Senior shortstop Molly Schweigert (Salem, Ore.) enters the GSC Crossover carrying a hot bat as she is riding a school-record 12-game hitting streak that has raised her batting average to .362 and has a team-best four triples and has recorded 38 hits, while freshman first baseman Tiphani Moon (Euless, Texas) leads the Golden Suns in doubles (11), home runs (4) and RBIs (27) and is second in runs scored with 21.

One area of strength for the Golden Suns is its pitching as they are second in the league with a combined 1.94 earned run average. Sophomore Casey Hammons (Carthage, Texas) leads the way for Tech’s pitchers as she has a 13-4 record and a 1.89 ERA, while senior Dana Aldrich (Palm Harbor, Fla.) has a 17-5 record and a 1.92 ERA. The 17 wins have set a new single-season record for a Tech pitcher. On the season, Hammons has made 26 appearances and 19 starts and has picked up 10 complete games, tossed four shutouts and earned four saves. In 125.2 innings of work, Hammons has allowed 102 hits and 43 runs, while walking 33 and striking out 107, while Aldrich has made 28 appearances, 19 starts and has pitched 12 complete games, tossed three shutouts and picked up a school-record five saves. Aldrich has tossed 138.1 innings and has allowed 95 hits and 46 runs, while walking 18 and striking out 132.

Following this weekend’s GSC Crossover, Tech will remain on the road to face Arkansas-Monticello in a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 16.  

2008 GSC Crossover Tournament Schedule/Results

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