DANA ALDRICH'S PERFECT GAME HELPS GOLDEN SUNS POST WIN OVER WEST GEORGIA ON SECOND DAY OF GSC CROSSOVER

        DECATUR, Alabama – Arkansas Tech Softball pitcher Dana Aldrich (Palm Harbor, Fla.) was simply perfect here Friday afternoon as the Golden Suns posted an 8-0 five inning win over West Georgia on the second day of the GSC Crossover Tournament at Wilson-Morgan Park.

Aldrich, who is one of three seniors on this year’s team, made history once again as she tossed her second perfect game of the season in the win over the Lady Wolves. In addition, the perfect game was just the second ever in the six-year history of the Tech program. In Tech’s season opener this year against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Aldrich tossed the first-ever perfect game in Tech softball history.

“Dana was simply amazing today. She was really on her game,” Golden Suns Head Coach Gidget Pambianchi said. “I was pleased with the way our kids bounced back after Thursday’s loss to Valdosta State.”

Tech’s second game of the day against third-ranked Alabama-Hunstville was cancelled due to rain, as were all of the other games scheduled for Friday. The UAH game will not be made up.

In the win over West Georgia, Tech (32-10 overall, 14-4 GSC) jumped on the scoreboard in the third inning thanks to an RBI single by sophomore catcher Roxie Palacios (Crosby, Texas) and an RBI groundout by sophomore Casey Hammons (Carthage, Texas).

Tech’s lead grew to 7-0 in the fourth inning as the Golden Suns sent 10 hitters to the plate and scored five runs off of four hits and a UWG error. In the inning, senior shortstop Molly Schweigert (Salem, Ore.) drove in the first two run on her 2-run single and then freshman first baseman Tiphani Moon (Euless, Texas) drove in two runs on her double and freshman second baseman Shanda Jimeson (Mansfield, Texas) drove in the fifth run on a groundout.

The seven run cushion would be enough for Aldrich, who improved to 18-6 on the season with the win, as she faced 15 batters and retired all of them in a row, including striking out six Lady Wolves (23-21 overall, 4-10 GSC). It was the 13th complete game and fourth shutout of the season for Aldrich.

Tech ended the game early due to the 8-run mercy rule in the bottom of the fifth as senior leftfielder Terra Brenner (Belleville, Ark.) drove in junior centerfielder Krista Cifuentes (Clinton, Ark.) with the game’s eighth and final run. Cifuentes had walked to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a groundout by junior rightfielder Sarah Pratt (Garland, Texas).   

For the game, Tech’s offense collected 11 hits off of UWG hurler, Heather Colson. Palacios led the way with three hits, while Brenner, Moon and Schweigert, who extended her hitting streak to 14 straight games, added two hits apiece. Cifuentes, Brenner and Moon each scored two runs in the victory.  

The Golden Suns will return to action on Saturday, if the weather permits, to face West Florida at 4 p.m. on the third day of the GSC Crossover. Tech split a doubleheader against West Florida in Pensacola, Fla., on March 26.

West Georgia Box Score

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