GOLDEN SUNS REMAINS UNDEFEATED AT GSC TOURNAMENT, POSTS HUGE WIN OVER TOP-RANKED ALABAMA-HUNTSVILLE

        SOUTHAVEN, Mississippi – Arkansas Tech Golden Suns Softball made some history here Friday evening in the winner’s bracket of the 2009 Gulf South Conference Tournament as it posted a 1-0 victory over No. 1 ranked Alabama-Huntsville at the Greenbrook Softball Complex.

The win over the Lady Chargers was Tech’s first-ever against a nationally top-ranked team in softball in the program’s seven-year history.  

With the victory, Tech (42-20 on the season) earned its school-record 42 victory and moved into a winner’s bracket showdown on Saturday afternoon against fifth-ranked Valdosta State, who posted an 8-4 win over West Florida in the other winner's bracket match-up Friday night. The winner of tomorrow’s winner’s bracket game, which is slated to begin at 12 p.m., will earn a spot in Sunday’s championship round.

“What a historic day for Arkansas Tech Softball,” Tech Head Coach Gidget Pambianchi said following the victory. “It hasn’t sunk in yet that we just defeated the No. 1 ranked team in the country. This is a big win, but now we have to get ready to get after it again tomorrow.”

The game’s lone run came in the bottom of the second inning as the Golden Suns took advantage of two UAH errors on the same play to take a 1-0 lead over the top-ranked Lady Chargers, who fell to 46-5 on the season with the loss. On the play, freshman shortstop Stephanie Lasley (Greenbrier, Ark.) dropped a bunt towards third base and reached on a throwing error by UAH third baseman Beth Lawson. Lawson’s error allowed junior third baseman Taylor Gates (Paris, Texas) to score the game’s first and only run off of UAH ace Sage Woodham, who fell to 19-1 with the defeat.

In the top of the third inning, Lawson, the GSC East Division Player of the Year and the league leader in home runs with 23, came to bat with the bases loaded and one out, but junior pitcher Casey Hammons (Carthage, Texas) forced her to fly out to senior rightfielder Sarah Pratt (Garland, Texas) for the second out and then Pratt threw Erin Duke out at the plate to complete the double play.

Tech once again used a tremendous defensive play in the sixth inning as senior centerfielder Krista Cifuentes (Clinton, Ark.) kept the score at 1-0 as she took away a home run off the bat of Caitlin Lee as she reached over the fence to make the catch for the first out of the inning.

Hammons (21-6) picked her second consecutive shutout win in the tournament as she held the Lady Chargers to just two hits in seven innings of work. Along with allowing just two hits, Hammons walked four and also struck out four.

Woodham took the loss as she pitched six innings and allowed five hits and one unearned run, while walking one and striking out two.

Pratt led Tech’s offense with two hits, while Moon, Gates and Lasley collected the other hits in the game. Lawson picked up both of UAH’s hits in the loss.

             Alabama-Huntsville Box Score
 
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