Arkansas Tech University’s Janie Knowles had three base hits and Jalissa Gum became the Golden Suns’ all-time leader in career softball pitching victories in a 2-1 elimination bracket win over Ouachita Baptist University at the Great American Conference Tournament in Bentonville on Friday morning.
With the win, Arkansas Tech (37-21) advances to face Southern Nazarene University in another elimination game at 4 p.m. Friday.
Live coverage will be available at www.arkansastechsports.com.
Tech struck first against OBU with a Sarah Coronado double in the bottom of the second inning that drove in Cara Tolar.
The last of Knowles’ three hits was a double in the bottom of the fifth inning. Ashley Landry scored on the play to give the Golden Suns a 2-0 lead.
The value of that insurance run was demonstrated in the following frame after Ouachita’s Macy Wilson sent a 2-2 pitch over the left field fence to cut Tech’s advantage to 2-1.
That was all Gum would allow. The Lady Tigers only had one base runner the rest of the game. That came on a two-out, infield single by Gabby Gonzalez in the top of the seventh inning. She was subsequently erased on a fielder’s choice that ended the game.
Gum (21-11) struck out 13 Ouachita hitters en route to her 46th career pitching victory at Tech. The previous school record for career pitching wins was 45, which was established by Victoria Huie from 2012-15.
OBU starting pitcher Marissa Butler (10-12) was charged with two runs on eight hits in six innings.
