Arkansas Tech University and Southern Nazarene University divided a four-game Great American Conference softball series into equal portions of two wins apiece at Bethany, Okla., on Friday and Saturday.
The Golden Suns (20-8 overall, 11-5 GAC) will host Oklahoma Baptist University for a four-game GAC set at the Chartwells Women’s Sports Complex in Russellville on Friday, March 23, and Saturday, March 24.
First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday and noon Saturday. Radio station KARV 101.3 FM/610 AM and www.arkansastechsports.com will provide live coverage.
Game One: Tech 9, SNU 3
Megan Goodnight and Janie Knowles both hit a home run and drove in three runs to lead Arkansas Tech to a 9-3 victory over Southern Nazarene in the series opener on Friday.
Ashton Sangster added two runs batted in for the Golden Suns.
Goodnight (6-0) pitched the first four innings and allowed one run on five hits. Bailey Shaffer provided two innings of relief and Kristen Dempsey got the final three outs to seal the deal.
Game Two: SNU 14, Tech 13
Mahina Sauer’s two-run double in the bottom of the seventh inning allowed Southern Nazarene to walk off with a 14-13 win over Arkansas Tech in Friday’s second game.
Bailey Bunch went 5-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored the Golden Suns. Bunch tied the school record for hits in a game, matching the five-hit games by Sarah Pratt against Southern Indiana on Feb. 13, 2009, and Whitney Robinson against Southern Nazarene on April 25, 2014.
Tech’s Makenzie Addis was 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs. Gaby Vasquez, Paty Loredo and Paige Mendoza added two RBIs apiece.
Game Three: SNU 8, Tech 6
Southern Nazarene celebrated another walk-off win on Saturday, defeating Arkansas Tech 8-6 on Katelyn Brown’s game-ending, two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Game Four: Tech 9, SNU 3
Arkansas Tech said goodbye to Southern Nazarene like it said hello by topping the Crimson Storm 9-3 in the series finale on Saturday.
Addis was 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Dempsey (5-2) pitched a complete game for the Golden Suns.