Nationally fourth-ranked Arkansas Tech University swept a non-conference softball doubleheader from Pittsburg State University at the PSU Softball Complex in Pittsburg, Kan., on Wednesday.
Tech defeated Pitt State 5-0 and 10-3 in its final non-conference contests of the softball regular season.
The Golden Suns (27-2) have won six consecutive games and 25 of their last 26. They are 10-1 against teams from the NCAA Division II Central Region outside of their fellow Great American Conference members, a record that could prove in Arkansas Tech’s favor when teams and locations are determined for the 2016 NCAA Division II Softball Tournament in May.
Tech will resume the GAC portion of its 2016 softball schedule on Friday, March 25, and Saturday, March 26, with a four-game series against Southeastern Oklahoma State University.
First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday. Radio station KCAB 97.1 FM/980 AM and www.arkansastechsports.com will have live coverage.
Game One: Tech 5, PSU 0
Jalissa Gum and Kelsie Barker combined to pitch a two-hit shutout in a 5-0 Arkansas Tech win over Pittsburg State in game one on Wednesday.
Gum (10-0) limited the Gorillas to one hit over five innings while striking out seven. Barker came on in relief to get the final six outs. She allowed one hit and struck out three.
A run-scoring single off the bat of Janie Knowles and a three-run home run by Kambri Hill in the top of the second inning gave the Golden Suns a 4-0 lead. Sarah Coronado scored on a Pitt State error in the third inning to set the eventual final score.
PSU starting pitcher Emmie Robertson (13-4) was charged with five runs, four of which were earned, on six hits in five innings.
Game Two: Tech 10, PSU 3
Destiny Crumpley’s two-run single in the top of the fifth inning gave Arkansas Tech the lead for good in a 10-3 victory over Pittsburg State in Wednesday’s nightcap.
Crumpley, who went 2-for-3 with five runs batted in, broke a 3-3 tie with a single to left that drove in Alex Edinger and Gaby Vasquez.
Tech padded its lead in the top of the seventh when Ashley Anderson scored on a Gorillas’ error and Megan Goodnight hit a grand slam. It was Goodnight’s third hit of the game.
Morgan Vaughan (10-0) was the winning pitcher. She allowed three runs on five hits in five innings of work. Vaughan notched five strikeouts.
Barker pitched two scoreless innings of relief for her third save of 2016.
Pitt State’s Zoe Price (1-1) went the distance in the circle. She surrendered 10 runs, five of which were earned, on 10 hits.
