Nationally fourth-ranked Arkansas Tech University maintained sole possession of first place in the Great American Conference softball standings by taking 3-of-4 games from Southeastern Oklahoma State University at the Chartwells Women’s Sports Complex in Russellville on Friday and Saturday.
The Golden Suns (30-3 overall, 20-2 GAC) bounced back from a 2-0 loss in the series opener to defeat the Savage Storm (20-12, 16-6) 2-0, 5-1 and 5-4 in the final three games of the series.
Arkansas Tech will visit Harding University for a GAC doubleheader in Searcy on Tuesday, March 29. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
Game One: SOSU 2, Tech 0
Three Southeastern Oklahoma State pitchers combined for a six-hit shutout and the Savage Storm topped Arkansas Tech 2-0 in the series opener on Friday.
Emily Cudd (9-4) and Destiny Riddle both retired one batter for the Savage Storm. Jessica Seay started in the circle for the Savage Storm, worked six and one-third innings and earned her third save of the season. She pitched into the fourth inning and later returned to the circle to close out the win.
Southeastern’s Jessica Simmons and Conner Harmon had one run batted in apiece.
Arkansas Tech’s Jalissa Gum (10-1) pitched a complete game. She was charged with two runs on seven hits.
Game Two: Tech 2, SOSU 0
Morgan Vaughan tossed a three-hit shutout to lead Arkansas Tech to a 2-0 win over Southeastern Oklahoma State in the nightcap on Friday.
Vaughan (11-0) struck out seven Savage Storm hitters over seven innings.
Destiny Crumpley and Gum both delivered a sacrifice fly to account for the Golden Suns’ runs.
Cudd (9-5) pitched a complete game for Southeastern Oklahoma State. She surrendered two runs on eight hits.
Game Three: Tech 5, SOSU 1
Gum pitched a complete game and hit a home run in a 5-1 Arkansas Tech victory over Southeastern Oklahoma State in Saturday’s first contest.
The Savage Storm grabbed an early lead on Laramie Beal’s RBI double in the top of the first inning. Janie Knowles scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the second to tie the score, and Gum gave the Golden Suns the lead with a solo home run in the third inning.
She made sure that lead would stand up by limiting the Savage Storm to one run on two hits over seven innings. Gum struck out five and induced 12 fly outs.
Knowles and Alex Edinger added RBI singles for the Golden Suns. Edinger scored the final run of the game on a Southeastern error in the bottom of the fourth.
Seay (11-4) started in the circle for the Savage Storm and allowed five runs, four of which were earned, on six hits over three and one-third innings.
Game Four: Tech 5, SOSU 4
A Southeastern Oklahoma State throwing error in the bottom of the seventh inning allowed Arkansas Tech to take a 5-4 win in the series finale on Saturday.
The error brought Crumpley home with the tying run and Gum in with the winning run for the Golden Suns.
The Savage Storm built an early 4-1 lead. Crumpley cut the margin to one run with a two-RBI single in the bottom of the fifth.
Kelsie Barker (4-0) pitched two scoreless innings of relief for Arkansas Tech.
Cudd (8-6) was the losing pitcher.
