Arkansas Tech University advanced to the semifinal round of the 2018 Great American Conference Softball Tournament with a 9-2 victory over Harding University in Bentonville on Friday.
The Golden Suns (41-17) will face Southern Nazarene University at 11 a.m. Saturday in Bentonville. The Crimson Storm upset nationally seventh-ranked Southern Arkansas University 5-4 on Friday in a winners’ bracket game.
Megan Goodnight went 4-for-4 with a home run, two runs batted in and three runs scored during Tech’s win over Harding.
Makenzie Addis hit a home run, drove in three runs and scored two runs, while Bailey Bunch, Sarah Coronado and Sydnie Henson added one RBI apiece. Paige Mendoza went 1-for-4 with two runs scored.
Kristen Dempsey (12-6) started in the circle for the Golden Suns and limited the Lady Bisons to one run on two hits over four innings. Bailey Shaffer pitched the final three innings for her third save of 2018. Shaffer surrendered one run on four hits.
Harding starting pitcher Emily Garrett (9-7) was charged with six runs, five of which were earned, on seven hits in two and two-thirds innings of work.
With the loss, the Lady Bisons (31-25) fell into the loser’s bracket. They will play an elimination game at 7 p.m. Friday.
