GOLDEN SUNS SPLIT HOME DOUBLEHEADER ON SENIOR DAY TO HENDERSON STATE; EARNS FIRST-EVER GSC WEST DIVISION TITLE

        RUSSELLVILLE, Arkansas – Arkansas Tech Softball closed out the regular season here Saturday on Senior Day by splitting a doubleheader with Henderson State and made history in the process as the Golden Suns won its first-ever Gulf South Conference West Division title in front of 550 fans at the Chartwells Women’s Sports Complex.

In between games, Tech honored the three seniors on this year’s team – pitcher Dana Aldrich (Palm Harbor, Fla.), leftfielder Terra Brenner (Belleville, Ill.) and shortstop Molly Schweigert (Salem, Ore.), who is just the sixth four-year letterwinner in the program’s six-year history.

Tech opened the doubleheader by posting a 3-2 win (Box Score) the first game to earn the GSC West Division title, but HSU came back to post a 2-0 win (Box Score) in the nightcap.

With Saturday’s split, Tech improved to 38-15 overall and 20-9 in the GSC, while HSU’s record moves to 39-17 overall and 19-10 in the GSC.  

“I’m proud for our team and for our players,” Golden Suns Coach Gidget Pambianchi said about winning the West Division title. “This has been a long time coming for this program. I’m glad I was able to be a part of it.”

Pambianchi said that Saturday was a battle between two very good teams and the team that did the little things right would come out on top.

“We did the little things right in that first game and that was the difference,” the third-year Tech coach said.

In the first game, HSU wasted little time getting on the scoreboard as Kelcie Glidden led off the game with a solo home run over the left field fence off of Aldrich. The homer was Glidden’s 15th of the season.

Tech, though, came back in the bottom of the first and answered with an RBI double by freshman first baseman Tiphani Moon (Euless, Texas). Moon’s double drove in Schweigert, who had reached on a one-out walk issued by Patti Collins.

In the second inning, Tech used a two-out error by HSU second baseman Casey Merritt and triple by junior rightfielder Sarah Pratt (Garland, Texas) to take a 2-1 lead.

          The Lady Reddies tied the game in the fourth thanks to a two-out error by freshman second baseman Shanda Jimeson (Mansfield, Texas) on an infield popup by HSU third baseman Haylee Williams.

          Tech, though, retook the lead in the sixth inning thanks to one hit and two errors by Lady Reddies. In the inning, sophomore Casey Hammons (Carthage, Texas) reached on a single, advanced to second on an error by HSU leftfielder Heather Canerday and scored when Jimeson reached on an error by Merritt.

          Hammons, who earned her fifth save of the season, relieved Aldrich in the seventh and retired the Lady Reddies in order to seal the win and earn the GSC West Division title.

          Aldrich (23-8) tossed six innings and allowed one hit and one earned run, while walking two and striking out three. Lauren Carley (21-8), who relieved Collins in the fifth inning, took the loss as she pitched 1.2 innings and allowed one hit and one run. Collins pitched 4.1 innings and allowed four hits and two runs, while walking one and striking out none.

          Pratt led Tech’s offense with two hits, while Brenner, Moon and Hammons had Tech’s three other hits.

          Meanwhile in the second game of the twinbill, HSU broke open a scoreless game in the fifth inning as Miracle Thurston led off with a solo homer over the centerfield fence off of Hammons. Thurston’s homer was just her third of the season.

          In the sixth inning, Tech had a chance to tie the game as they put runners on first and second thanks to walks, before Carley relieved Jackie Darnstaedt and ended Tech’s threat by inducing Jimeson to ground out to end the inning.

          The Lady Reddies increased its lead to 2-0 in the seventh inning thanks to a double, a single, an intentional walk and a sacrifice fly off of Aldrich, who relieved Hammons after she intentionally walked Glidden to load the bases.

          Hammons, who fell to 14-7 on the season, took the loss as she tossed six innings and allowed seven hits and two runs, while walking three and striking out three.

          Darnstaedt (5-1) earned the win as she threw five innings and allowed five hits and no runs, while walking four and striking out one. Carley pitched the final two innings to earn her third save of the season.

          Hammons and Brenner, one of the team’s three seniors, each had two hits in the loss, while Moon and Pratt had the other two hits. Seven HSU batters each had a hit in the second game.

          The Golden Suns will now return to action on Friday, May 2, when they face North Alabama, the No. 4 seed from the East Division, in the first round of the GSC Softball Tournament, which is being held at the Greenbrook Softball Complex in Southaven, Miss.

 -- Tech Athletics --