Nationally eighth-ranked Arkansas Tech University exited the double elimination Great American Conference Softball Tournament on Saturday.
The Golden Suns (46-9) came from behind to remain alive with a 3-2 win over East Central University in the first game of the day, but a 6-0 loss to Henderson State University on Saturday evening brought Arkansas Tech’s stay in Bentonville to an end.
Despite falling short of adding the GAC Tournament trophy to its regular season conference championship, the Golden Suns will receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament.
Arkansas Tech will learn on Monday, May 2, its seed, its opponent and where it will be playing during the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
Game One: Tech 3, ECU 2
Jalissa Gum’s two-run single in the bottom of the ninth inning allowed Arkansas Tech to walk off with a 3-2 win over East Central in an elimination game at the GAC Tournament on Saturday.
The two sides were tied 1-1 at the end of the seventh and final scheduled inning. The Tigers broke the tie in the top of the ninth on a sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth, but the Golden Suns weren’t ready to go home yet.
Consecutive singles by Sydnie Henson, Ashley Anderson and Alex Edinger loaded the bases with no one out in Tech’s half of the ninth. Gum sent the third pitch she saw through the left side, Henson scored the tying run and Anderson slid across home plate with the winning run.
Morgan Vaughan (15-1) pitched two innings of relief to earn the win in the circle.
ECU starter Sydney Dow (5-5) pitched eight-plus innings. She was charged with three runs on six hits while striking out nine.
Game Two: HSU 6, Tech 0
Henderson State starting pitcher Michelle Sorensen tossed a four-hit shutout to lead the Reddies to a 6-0 win over Arkansas Tech in an elimination contest at the GAC Tournament on Saturday evening.
Sorensen (22-11) struck out 10 batters over seven innings.
Courtney Warren paced the Reddies’ offensive attack by going 4-for-5 with two runs scored.
Arkansas Tech starting pitcher Sydnee Clark (4-4) allowed three runs on five hits in three and one-third innings.
