Arkansas Tech University opened its 2017 softball season with three wins and one loss at the Southeastern Regional Invitational in Durant, Okla., on Friday and Saturday.
The nationally 11th-ranked Golden Suns (3-1) will return to action on Friday, Feb. 10, and Saturday, Feb. 11, at the UAM 8-State Classic in Bentonville.
Game One: Tech 2, Central Missouri 1
Arkansas Tech rallied in the top half of the seventh and final inning to take down the University of Central Missouri Jennies 2-1 on Friday morning.
UCM starting pitcher Alexa Bradley shut the Golden Suns out through six innings and carried a 1-0 lead to the seventh.
Megan Goodnight tied the score for Tech with a lead-off home run in the top of the seventh, and four batters later Cara Tolar delivered a single that drove in Alix Boulanger with the go-ahead run. It was Tolar’s third hit of the game.
Morgan Vaughan came out of the Golden Suns’ bullpen to retire the Jennies in order in the bottom of the seventh for the save.
Arkansas Tech reliever Bailey Shaffer (1-0) earned the win in the circle by pitching a scoreless sixth inning. Starting pitcher Jalissa Gum received no decision after allowing one run on four hits while striking out 13 UCM batters over five innings.
Bradley (0-1) allowed two runs on eight hits over seven innings.
Game Two: Tech 3, Emporia State 1
Arkansas Tech won in comeback fashion again later on Friday when it defeated Emporia State University 3-1.
The Hornets struck first on Caitlin VanVleck’s RBI single in the bottom of the third inning.
Gum answered with a two-run home run in the top of the fourth and Sarah Coronado provided the Golden Suns with an insurance run when she drove in Ashton Sangster on a fielder’s choice in the top of the fifth.
Vaughan (1-0) went the distance in the circle. She limited Emporia State to one run on five hits in seven innings.
Hornet starting pitcher Eryn Stockman (0-1) also pitched a complete game. She was charged with three runs, two of which were earned, on six hits.
Game Three: St. Mary’s 7, Tech 3
An Arkansas Tech error in the top of the eighth inning opened the floodgates for St. Mary’s University in a 7-3 victory over the Golden Suns on Saturday.
Tech’s Gum drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the score at 3-3 and ultimately force extra innings.
The Golden Suns’ error with no one out in the top of the eighth allowed Staci Johns to race home with the go-ahead run for the Rattlers. Four batters later, Hannah Michel delivered a bases-clearing double that increased St. Mary’s lead to 7-3.
Ashley Mills (2-0) retired Arkansas Tech without incident in the last of the eighth to secure the victory.
Gum (0-1) was charged with seven runs, five of which were earned, on five hits in seven and one-third innings. She struck out 13 Rattlers.
Goodnight and Coronado had one run batted in apiece for the Golden Suns.
Game Four: Tech 8, Midwestern State 4
Gum went 3-for-5 with a home run and five runs batted in to lead Arkansas Tech to an 8-4 win over Midwestern State University in its final game of the weekend on Saturday.
Tolar added three RBIs for the Golden Suns, who accumulated 12 base hits.
Arkansas Tech starting pitcher Sydnee Clark (1-0) allowed two runs on five hits over three innings. Vaughan pitched four innings for her second save of 2017.
Midwestern State starting pitcher Erin Knox (0-2) allowed eight runs over seven innings.
