Nationally fifth-ranked Arkansas Tech University and nationally 23rd-ranked Southern Arkansas University split a Great American Conference softball doubleheader at the Chartwells Women’s Sports Complex in Russellville on Friday.
The Golden Suns took game one 2-0, while the Lady Muleriders won the nightcap 7-5.
Arkansas Tech (37-4 overall, 27-3 GAC) and Southern Arkansas (32-5, 24-5) will conclude their series with a noon doubleheader at the Chartwells Women’s Sports Complex on Saturday. Admission will be free.
Radio station KCAB 97.1 FM/980 AM and www.arkansastechsports.com will provide live coverage.
Game One: Tech 2, SAU 0
Jalissa Gum was a one-woman wrecking crew in a 2-0 Arkansas Tech victory over Southern Arkansas in Friday’s first game.
Gum (14-1) pitched a one-hit shutout, striking out 14 Lady Muleriders over seven innings. She also drove in both of the game’s runs with a triple in the bottom of the third inning.
Southern Arkansas’ only hit was a Darian Harris lead-off single in the top of the fourth inning.
Lady Mulerider starting pitcher Kimmy Beasley (16-2) took the loss. She allowed two unearned runs on two hits in six innings while striking out 10.
Game Two: SAU 7, Tech 5
Southern Arkansas stopped Arkansas Tech’s 10-game winning streak by defeating the Golden Suns 7-5 in the second game on Friday.
Brooke Goad and Maddie Dow both homered and drove in three runs for the Lady Muleriders.
Arkansas Tech’s Kambri Hill delivered a two-run double and Ashley Savage notched an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth to give the Golden Suns a 5-4 lead, but Goad’s three-run home run to center field in the top of the seventh gave SAU the lead for good. It was Goad’s 17th home run of 2016.
Beasley (17-2) pitched one and two-thirds innings of scoreless relief to earn the win in the circle.
Tech’s Kelsie Barker (5-1) allowed three runs on four hits over four innings of relief.