SOFTBALL IMPROVES TO 13-3 IN GSC PLAY WITH DOUBLEHEADER SWEEP AT CHRISTIAN BROTHERS

        MEMPHIS, Tennessee – Arkansas Tech Softball continued its stellar play in Gulf South Conference action as the Golden Suns improved to 13-3 in league play with its doubleheader sweep here Monday over Christian Brothers at Bland Field. Tech opened the doubleheader by posting a 3-1 win (Box Score) and then earned a hard-fought 1-0 win (Box Score) in 10 innings in the nightcap.

Monday’s sweep followed Tech’s doubleheader sweep less than 24 hours earlier in Russellville, when the Golden Suns won 4-2 and 11-3 in a game called in the sixth due to the 8-run mercy rule over the Lady Buccaneers.

          For the two games on Monday, Tech’s offense collected 15 hits, but left 13 runners on base and committed one error in 17 innings of play. Meanwhile, CBU had eight hits for the doubleheader and committed four errors, including three in the second game of the twinbill.

          In the first game, CBU broke open a scoreless tie in the fourth inning as Kathleen Nelson drilled a senior Dana Aldrich (Palm Harbor, Fla.) pitch over the left centerfield fence for her fourth home run of the season.

          The Golden Suns, though, answered Nelson’s homer in the fifth inning with four hits, including an RBI single by senior shortstop Molly Schweigert (Salem, Ore.) to tie the game. Schweigert’s hit kept her hitting streak alive at 11 games.

          Tech extended its lead to 3-1 in the seventh thanks to a throwing error by CBU shortstop Paige Wright that allowed two runs to score.

          Aldrich (17-5) earned the win on the mound as she tossed a complete game three-hitter and allowed just Nelson’s homer and finished the game with six strikeouts and no walks. The complete game was her 12th of the season.

          Junior rightfielder Sarah Pratt (Garland, Texas) and junior centerfielder Krista Cifuentes (Clinton, Ark.) led Tech’s 10-hit attack with two hits apiece, while Schweigert and sophomore catcher Roxie Palacios (Crosby, Texas) each drove in a run in the win.

          Kallie McFatter (5-11 on the season) earned the loss for the Lady Bucs as she tossed 6.1 innings and allowed 10 hits and three runs (two earned runs), while walking one and striking out two.

          Meanwhile, in the nightcap, it was pitcher’s duel as both Tech sophomore Casey Hammons (Carthage, Texas) and CBU’s Nikki Dunn pitched nine innings of shutout ball.   

          Tech broke up Dunn’s shutout in the top of the 10th inning thanks to a throwing error by CBU third baseman Casey King. King’s error, which came on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Quinn Culver (Fort Smith, Ark.), allowed freshman Jessica Fields (Springdale, Ark.) to score from second base. Fields, who was pinch running for Palacios, was placed at second base thanks to the international tiebreaker rule.

          In the bottom of the 10th, Aldrich relieved Hammons and retired the Lady Bucs in order to seal the win and pick up her fifth save of the season.

          Hammons (13-4) earned the win after pitching nine shutout innings and allowing just five singles, while walking two and striking out seven. In fact, Hammons retired 15 of the final 17 batters she faced.

          Dunn, who fell to 9-9 on the season, was the hard-luck loser as the junior pitched all 10 innings and allowed just five singles and struck five Golden Suns.

          Schweigert, Pratt, Culver, senior leftfielder Terra Brenner (Belleville, Ill.) and freshman second baseman Shanda Jimeson (Mansfield, Texas) each had a hit for the Golden Suns in the win.

          The Golden Suns will return to action on Thursday, April 10 when they travel to Decatur, Ala., to begin play in the GSC Crossover Tournament. The Golden Suns will open the four-day tournament on Thursday by facing Valdosta State at 4 p.m. Tech collected a 2-1 win over the Lady Blazers earlier this season at the UAM/Super 8 Softball Tournament in Monticello, Ark.  

                                                            -- Tech Athletics --