Arkansas Tech improved to 4-0 on the young softball season by sweeping a non-conference doubleheader from the Central Missouri Jennies on Sunday at the Chartwells Women’s Sports Complex.
The Golden Suns took a mercy-rule shortened 9-0 win in the opener.
Lead-off hitter Dana Stephenson was the catalyst in Tech’s first win of the day. She was 3-for-4 with two runs batted in and two runs scored.
Taylor Gates also drove in two runs, while Tiphani Moon, Roxie Palacios and Jessica Fields scored two runs apiece.
Central Missouri committed four errors in game one.
Tech starting pitcher Morgan Rodgers (1-0) allowed just three hits and struck out three over four innings of work.
The Golden Suns held off a comeback bid by Central Missouri and completed the sweep with a 10-6 victory in game two.
Tech raced out to a 6-0 lead, but the Jennies scored four runs in the top of the fourth inning to make it a game.
Shanda Jimeson had an RBI bunt single, Gates drove in a run with a ground out and the Suns added a third run on a UCM throwing error in the bottom of the fourth to build a 9-4 lead.
Tech led 10-6 going to the seventh and final inning. Central Missouri’s Brandi Campbell led off the top of the seventh with a triple. She later scored on a ground out, but that was all the damage the Jennies could muster in their last at-bat.
Chelsea Evanoff (2-0) scattered eight hits over four innings to collect the game two victory in the circle. Rodgers came on to get the final four outs for the Suns.
Stephenson, Moon and Gates had two hits apiece in the second end of the doubleheader. Palacios hit her first home run of the season, a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the third.
Tech will host Southwest Baptist for a twin bill at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
]]>
