Golden Suns Clinch GAC Tournament Berth

Arkansas Tech University maintained its hold on second place in the Great American Conference softball standings by winning 3-of-4 games against the University of Arkansas-Monticello at Blossom Field in Monticello on Sunday and Monday.

The nationally 19th-ranked Golden Suns (34-12 overall, 25-9 GAC) joined league-leading Southern Arkansas University (42-4, 31-3) as the second team to clinch a berth in the GAC Tournament. That event will be played May 2-5 in Bentonville.

Arkansas Tech will continue regular season play by hosting Harding University for a GAC doubleheader at the Chartwells Women’s Sports Complex in Russellville on Wednesday, April 18. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. Live coverage will be available on KARV 101.3 FM/610 AM and at www.arkansastechsports.com.

Game One: Tech 3, UAM 0

Megan Goodnight’s one-hit shutout propelled Arkansas Tech to a 3-0 win over UA-Monticello in the series opener on Sunday.

Goodnight (12-2) struck out three Cotton Blossoms over seven innings.

UAM’s only hit came on a fourth-inning single by Maranda Clendenin, and only one Blossom base runner advanced as far as second base.

Goodnight had a run-scoring single in the first inning and Paty Loredo added a two-run double in the fourth. Sarah Coronado went 2-for-3 with a run scored.

Game Two: UAM 10, Tech 7

UA-Monticello struck for seven runs in the bottom of the fifth inning and come from behind to defeat Arkansas Tech 10-7 in the second game of a Sunday doubleheader.

The Golden Suns led 7-3 after four-and-a-half innings, but the Cotton Blossoms notched four base hits and took advantage of two errors, three walks and two wild pitches by Arkansas Tech during their fifth-inning rally.

Mallory McWhorter (1-2) pitched two and two-thirds innings of relief to earn the win in the circle. Paisley Pratt got the final six outs for her first save of 2018.

Game Three: Tech 10, UAM 1

Ashton Sangster smashed two home runs to pace Arkansas Tech in a 10-1 victory over UA-Monticello in game one of Monday’s doubleheader.

Sangster went 2-for-2 with three runs batted in and three runs scored. Coronado was 2-for-2 with one home run and three RBIs, while Paige Mendoza went 3-for-3 with two doubles and three RBIs.

Loredo drove in the Golden Suns’ other run in a mercy-rule shortened victory.

Goodnight (13-2) went the distance in the circle for Tech. She surrendered one run on three hits over five innings.

Game Four: Tech 8, UAM 1

Coronado had three hits and Janie Knowles drove in three runs to power Arkansas Tech past UA-Monticello 8-1 in the series finale.

Knowles finished 2-for-3 at the plate, while Coronado scored three runs and drove in two.

Kristen Dempsey (9-3) pitched a complete game for the Golden Suns. She limited the Cotton Blossoms to one run on five hits while striking out five over seven innings.