ARKANSAS TECH UNIVERSITY

ATHLETICS 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 4, 2009
Contact: Walt Barton, GA SID (479) 968-0645

GOLDEN SUNS COLLECT WIN OVER 17TH-RANKED WEST FLORIDA
ON SECOND DAY OF GSC CROSSOVER TOURNAMENT

        DECATUR, Alabama – After dropping its first two games of the Gulf South Conference Crossover Softball Tournament on Friday, the Arkansas Tech Golden Sun team bounced back with a 3-1 victory over 17th-ranked West Florida here Saturday at Morgan-Wilson Park.

With the win, Tech improves its record to 29-16 on the season and 12-5 in the GSC, while West Florida fell to 31-8 and 6-4 in league play.

The Lady Argonauts opened the scoring in the second inning when Trish Pope singled in a run off of junior hurler Casey Hammons (Carthage, Texas), the two-time reigning GSC West Division Pitcher of the Week.

Tech evened the score in the bottom of the second inning on an RBI single by freshman shortstop Stephanie Lasley (Greenbrier, Ark.).

In the third inning, Tech scored the game’s final two runs on an RBI bunt single by sophomore second baseman Shanda Jimeson (Mansfield, Texas) and Jimeson eventually came around to score on a run scoring single by junior catcher Roxie Palacios (Crosby, Texas). Jimeson’s bunt single scored senior centerfielder Krista Cifuentes (Clinton, Ark.), who had led off the inning by reaching on a error by UWF third baseman Amber Ingram.

          Hammons (13-7) went the distance to earn the victory in the circle. The right-hander allowed one run on three hits, while walking three and striking out six.

          Emily Burge (14-6) took the loss for UWF, allowing three runs, one earned, on eight hits, with no walks and five strikeouts.

          Pratt and Palacios led Tech offensively with two hits apiece. Pope, Ingram, and Kat Pursell accounted for the three UWF hits in the contest.

          The Golden Suns will continue play in the 2009 GSC Crossover Tournament when they face West Alabama at 10 a.m. and North Alabama at 12 p.m. on Sunday. Tech will conclude play in the four-day tournament on Monday at 10 a.m. against eighth-ranked Valdosta State.

           West Florida Box Score

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