SOFTBALL SPLITS DOUBLEHEADER AT HENDERSON STATE

        ARKADELPHIA, Arkansas – Arkansas Tech Softball closed out the road portion of its 2008 regular season schedule here Tuesday by splitting a Gulf South Conference doubleheader against Henderson State at Dee White Field.

Henderson State picked up the 3-0 win (Box Score) in the first game, but Tech came back to post an 8-0 win (Box Score) in the second game of the twinbill to earn the split. The shutout was Tech’s 14th of the season.

With the split, Tech, who improves to 37-14 overall overall and 19-8 in the GSC, remains two games up on the Lady Reddies (37-14, 17-8) in the West Division standings with two games remaining on Saturday against Henderson State in Russellville. The Lady Reddies play a doubleheader at Arkansas-Monticello on Thursday, before facing Tech on Saturday.

“It was good for us to get a split and put some pressure on them (Henderson State) coming into Saturday’s home doubleheader,” Golden Suns Head Coach Gidget Pambianchi said. “We now have control over our own destiny.”

In the first game, HSU broke open a scoreless game in the fifth inning as Kayla Lucas deposited a pitch from senior Dana Aldrich (Palm Harbor, Fla.) over the centerfield fence for a two-run homer to give the Lady Reddies a 2-0 lead. The homer was the 11th of the season for Lucas.

          HSU’s lead grew to 3-0 in the sixth on an apparent ground ball out at second base, but senior shortstop Molly Schweigert (Salem, Ore.) bobbled the throw, which allowed Jackie Darnstaedt to score from third base and increase the Lady Reddies lead to 3-0.

          The 3-0 lead would be enough as Lauren Carley, the GSC West Pitcher of the Week this week, pitched a complete game, allowing just one hit, a bunt single by senior leftfielder Terra Brenner (Belleville, Ill.) in the fourth inning to pick up her 21st win of the season. In addition to allowing just one hit, Carley (21-5) walked one and struck nine Golden Suns. It was the first time this season that Tech failed to collect at least three hits in a game.

          Aldrich, who fell to 22-8 with the loss, pitched six innings and allowed just five hits and three runs, while walking two and striking out five.

          Jennifer Lynn led HSU with two hits, while Lucas drove in two runs in the win.

In the second game of the twinbill, Tech made sure it wouldn’t be shut out for the second consecutive game as the Golden Suns used three hits in the first inning to score two runs off of Carley. In the inning, Tech scored runs on an RBI double by Schweigert and an RBI single by freshman first baseman Tiphani Moon (Euless, Texas).

Tech’s lead grew to 4-0 in the third inning thanks to some aggressive base running on an infield single by Moon that scored two runs.

In the fourth, Tech’s lead expanded to 5-0 on a lead-off home run by freshman third baseman Quinn Culver (Fort Smith, Ark.). Culver’s homer was her fourth of the season. Tech’s lead grew to 6-0 in the sixth inning as the Golden Suns took advantage of an error by HSU first baseman Tiffany Stiger, which allowed sophomore pitcher Casey Hammons (Carthage, Texas) to score. Hammons had led off the inning with an infield hit.

The six run cushion was enough for Hammons as she scattered just two hits over seven innings in improving to 14-6 on the season and helping Tech salvage the split.

Hammons was given some more insurance in the seventh on a two-run homer by Culver, her second homer of the game and the first time this season that Tech has had a player hit two homers in a game.

For the game, Tech collected 11 hits, including two hits apiece by Schweigert, Moon, Culver, Hammons and junior rightfielder Sarah Pratt (Garland, Texas). Schweigert and Culver each scored two runs each and Culver drove in three runs.

The Lady Reddies defense committed three errors, including two by Stiger, while Tech had just one error.

Carley (21-6), one of four Lady Reddie pitchers in the game, took the loss as she pitched 2+ innings and allowed six hits and four runs.

The two teams will close out the regular season on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. at the Chartwells Women’s Sports Complex. Prior to the game, Tech will honor its three seniors – Aldrich, Brenner and Schweigert for Senior Day festivities.

-- Tech Athletics --