Nationally fourth-ranked Southern Arkansas University came to the Chartwells Women’s Sports Complex in Russellville and won 3-of-4 softball games against nationally 21st-ranked Arkansas Tech University on Friday and Saturday.
With the series win, the Lady Muleriders (47-5 overall, 36-4 GAC) clinched the 2018 GAC regular season softball championship.
The Golden Suns (36-16, 27-13) will close out the regular season by visiting Southwestern Oklahoma State University for a four-game GAC series in Weatherford, Okla., on Friday, April 27, and Saturday, April 28.
First pitch is set for 2 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday. Live coverage will be provided by www.arkansastechsports.com.
Game One: SAU 9, Tech 2
Four Southern Arkansas batters notched two base hits apiece to fuel a 9-2 Lady Muleriders’ win over Arkansas Tech in game one on Friday.
Monica Islava, Faith Otts, Marina Duran and Megan Godoyo were those four SAU hitters. All eight of their hits were singles, as were the three additional base hits registered by the Lady Muleriders.
SAU starting pitcher Victoria Taylor (22-0) allowed two runs on four hits over five innings. She was succeeded in the circle by Brooke Ford-Nelson. She recorded the final six outs without significant incident.
Bailey Bunch drove in both of the Golden Suns’ runs with a triple in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Game Two: SAU 8, Tech 1
Jolie Trahan went the distance in the circle for Southern Arkansas and the Lady Muleriders completed a Friday doubleheader sweep by defeating Arkansas Tech 8-1 on Friday evening.
Trahan (7-0) scattered nine hits during her seven innings of labor. She retired five Tech hitters on strikes. Tech’s tally off Trahan was the result of a sacrifice fly by Paty Loredo in the bottom of the seventh inning.
SAU’s Brooke Goad, the all-time NCAA Division II leader in career home runs, hit a grand slam.
Game Three: SAU 5, Tech 1
A balanced offensive attack paired with the combined pitching efforts of Taylor and Ford-Nelson vaulted Southern Arkansas to a 5-1 triumph over Arkansas Tech in the opener of Saturday’s doubleheader.
The Lady Muleriders collected 11 base hits, led by two apiece from Rachel Miller, Otts, Duran and Jill Roye.
Taylor (23-0) surrendered one run on five hits in four innings. Ford-Nelson was once more an unsolvable riddle, recording three scoreless innings and fetching her second save of 2018. She faced nine batters. All nine were retired, including three by strikeout.
Paige Mendoza drove in the Golden Suns’ lone run with a single in the bottom of the first inning.
Game Four: Tech 2, SAU 0
Arkansas Tech earned a victory in its final home athletic event of the 2017-18 academic year by toppling Southern Arkansas 2-0 in the series finale on Saturday.
Kristen Dempsey (10-5) started in the circle for the Golden Suns and persisted for five innings. The Lady Muleriders recorded just one hit off Dempsey, and Tech reliever Bailey Shaffer steered it home from there. She limited SAU to two hits over two innings and was credited with her first save of the season.
The two ATU hurlers recorded seven strikeouts and a total of 100 pitches in their combined shutout.
Loredo homered in the first inning and Janie Knowles recorded a fielder’s choice RBI in the sixth inning.
