Now the waiting begins for the Arkansas Tech Golden Suns softball team.
West Alabama defeated Arkansas Tech 7-4 on Saturday to eliminate the Golden Suns from the 2011 Gulf South Conference Softball Tournament at the Greenbook Softball Complex in Southaven, Miss.
Arkansas Tech (34-19) must now await its fate concerning the 2011 NCAA Division II Softball Tournament. The Golden Suns were ranked sixth in the final regular season NCAA Division II South Region poll. Eight teams from the South Region will be invited to the NCAA Tournament.
The announcement concerning the NCAA Division II Softball Tournament selections is expected to be made Monday morning. Check back with www.arkansastechnews.com for updates.
West Alabama’s Anna Shartzer set the tone on Saturday with a lead-off home run in the bottom of the first inning. Rebecca Schick added a two-run single and Ashley Frost blasted a three-run home run in the third inning to extend the Tigers’ lead to 6-0.
Arkansas Tech got on the board thanks to a two-RBI double from Tiphani Moon in the top of the fourth. Shartzer scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fourth to get one of those runs back and make it 7-2.
Shelby Jo Fenter delivered an RBI double and Shanda Jimeson (photographed) had an RBI ground out in the fifth inning to get the Suns within 7-4, but that was as close as Arkansas Tech could get.
UWA starting pitcher Kristen Skinner (17-6) allowed just one hit — a single by Moon — over the final two innings as she defeated Arkansas Tech for the second time this year.
Skinner pitched the Tigers (34-15) to a 3-1 win over the Suns during the GSC Crossover in April. She struck out four during her complete game performance on Saturday.
Arkansas Tech starter Amy Horne (7-2) was tagged with the loss. She allowed six runs on seven hits in two and one-third innings.
]]>
