|
GOLDEN SUNS FALL IN 11 INNINGS AT GSC TOURNAMENT TO
TOP-RANKED ALABAMA-HUNTSVILLE, FACES NORTH ALABAMA
ON SUNDAY IN AN ELIMINATION GAME
SOUTHAVEN,
Mississippi –
Arkansas Tech Softball dropped an 11-inning heartbreaker
here Saturday evening 5-3 to top-ranked
Alabama-Huntsville in a winner’s bracket showdown at the
2008 Gulf South Conference Tournament at the Greenbrook
Softball Complex. The 11 inning game was the longest
softball game in Tech’s six-year history.
Tech, who tied the game in the bottom of the seventh
inning to force extra innings, couldn’t overcome
back-to-back solo home runs and an RBI single in the
11th inning to fall to the regular season GSC East
Division champions.
With the loss, Tech falls to 40-16 overall and now faces
North Alabama, the team it defeated 5-0 in Friday’s
first round, in an elimination game on Sunday at 9:30
a.m., while UAH moves its record to 48-7 and advances to
Sunday’s championship round. The Lady Chargers are the
lone remaining undefeated team in the tournament and now
must be defeated two times on Sunday. UAH will face
Valdosta State at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday.
Tech jumped on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first
inning as they used a single, a UAH error, a bunt and a
sacrifice fly to pick up an unearned run. In the inning,
junior rightfielder Sarah Pratt (Garland, Texas)
reached on a lead-off bunt single and advanced to second
when UAH pitcher Caitlin Lee committed an error and then
moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by senior leftfielder
Terra Brenner (Belleville, Ill.), before scoring
on a sacrifice fly by senior shortstop Molly
Schweigert (Salem, Ore.).
UAH broke up sophomore Casey Hammons’ (Carthage,
Texas) bid for her sixth shutout of season in the fifth
inning as Erin Duke hit a solo home run over the
centerfield fence and Marilyn Cooper followed with a
home run over the right centerfield fence to give the
Lady Chargers a 2-1.
Tech tied the game in the bottom of the seventh off of
GSC East Division Pitcher and Freshman of the Year Alex
Lewis on a fielder’s choice from junior centerfielder
Krista Cifuentes (Clinton, Ark.), which allowed
freshman pinch runner Jessica Fields (Springdale,
Ark.) to score. On the play, sophomore third baseman
Taylor Gates (Paris, Texas), the hero from the win
earlier on Saturday against Valdosta State, beat a throw
to second base by UAH second baseman Michelle Ingram.
The Lady Chargers took the lead for good in the top of
the 11th inning as Amy Harris led off the inning with a
home run over the left field fence and Beth Lawson
followed with another solo shot over the left field
fence off of senior Dana Aldrich (Palm Harbor,
Fla.). UAH added a third run in the inning on an RBI
single by Duke.
Freshman first baseman Tiphani Moon (Euless,
Texas) brought the Golden Suns within 5-3 in the bottom
of the 11th frame on a solo homer over the left field
fence, but Sage Woodham, the third UAH pitcher of the
game, retired the next two Tech hitters in order to
preserve the win and improve to 20-4 on the season. The
homer was Moon’s team-leading sixth of the season.
Aldrich, who relieved Hammons in the eighth inning, took
the loss as she pitched three innings and allowed three
hits and two runs, while walking one and striking out
five. Hammons pitched eight innings and allowed seven
hits and three runs, while walking one and striking
five.
Moon had three of Tech’s five hits in the game, while
Pratt and Brenner added the other hits.
Woodham tossed three innings in relief and allowed one
hit and one run, while striking out five. Caitlin Lee,
the UAH starter, pitched four innings and allowed one
hit and one unearned run, while Lewis also tossed four
innings and allowed three hits and one run, while
walking one and striking out five.
Duke and Megan Blanchard led UAH with two hits apiece.
For the game, both teams left seven runners on base,
while UAH committed three errors and stole four bases in
the game that lasted nearly three hours.
Tech-Alabama-Huntsville Box Score
--
Tech Athletics -- |