GOLDEN SUNS CLOSE REGULAR SEASON BY SPLITTING DOUBLEHEADER AT ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO

        MONTICELLO, Arkansas – Arkansas Tech Golden Suns Softball concluded its regular season here Sunday by splitting a Gulf South Conference doubleheader against Arkansas-Monticello at Blossoms Field.

Tech opened the doubleheader with a 2-1 win (Box Score) in eight innings and then fell 5-3 (Box Score) to the Cotton Blossoms to close the regular season.

With the doubleheader split, Tech moves its record to 40-20 overall and 19-9 in the GSC, while UAM improves to 38-15 overall and 17-13 in the league.

Tech, who wrapped up its second straight GSC West Division title by taking both games of Saturday’s doubleheader at UAM, will open the 2009 GSC Tournament on Friday, May 1, against East Division No. 4 seed West Alabama at 9:30 a.m. at the Greenbrook Softball Complex in Southaven, Miss. UAM, the No. 2 seed from the West Division, will open the tournament against East No. 3 seed West Florida at 2:30 p.m. on May 1.

Last season, Tech advanced all the way to the championship round before falling to Alabama-Huntsville. Tech went 3-2 at the tournament in its first-ever appearance.

In Sunday’s first game, UAM jumped in front 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning thanks to back-to-back doubles by Lindsey Randall and Katie Bowman off of freshman Morgan Rodgers (Mansfield, Texas).

Tech tied the game in the fourth inning thanks to a single, a bunt, a stolen base and a sacrifice fly by Rodgers, which plated junior Lauren Jones (Dardanelle, Ark.), who was pinch running for junior catcher Roxie Palacios (Crosby, Texas). Palacios led off the inning with a single to center.

The game remained tied until the top of the eighth inning when sophomore second baseman Jessica Fields (Springdale, Ark.) delivered her first RBI of the season on a single to left field that plated sophomore first baseman Tiphani Moon (Euless, Texas), who reached on a double earlier in the inning.

Fields’ single made a winner out of Rodgers (16-10), who tossed seven innings and allowed eight hits and one run, while walking three and striking out two. Hammons relieved Rodgers in the eighth after allowing a lead-off single to Emile Hobbs and retired the next three batters in order to record her fourth save.

Sophomore shortstop Shanda Jimeson (Mansfield, Texas) led Tech’s offense with two hits. In fact, every Golden Sun that started the game had at least one hit in the win. Bowman went 2-for-4 at the plate to lead UAM.

Meanwhile, in the nightcap, Tech took an early 1-0 lead in the first inning thanks to an RBI double by redshirt freshman catcher Trish Bliss (Lafayette, La.).

Tech’s lead grew to 2-0 in the third inning thanks to wild pitch by Becca Sustaire, which allowed senior centerfielder Krista Cifuentes (Clinton, Ark.) to score. Cifuentes led off the inning with a single to left field. In the fourth, Tech extended its lead to 3-0 thanks to an RBI groundout by senior rightfielder Sarah Pratt (Garland, Texas).

UAM, though, scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth to pull within 3-2 and then scored three runs in the sixth inning to take only its second lead in the series to earn the win. The big hit in the sixth by the Cotton Blossoms was a 2-run single by Randall off of Rodgers.

Rodgers (16-11) took the loss for the Golden Suns as she 2.2 innings in relief of junior starter Lyndsey McVay (Jonesboro, Ark.). Rodgers allowed six hits and three runs. McVay pitched 3.1 innings and allowed four hits and two runs, while walking three and striking out one.

Amanda Nordberg (4-0), the third UAM pitcher of the game, earned the win as she pitched the final two innings, allowing just three hits and fanning two.

Cifuentes, Pratt and Bliss each collected two hits for the Golden Suns in the loss, while Randall and Bowman had two hits apiece and Randall drove home two runs.

-- Tech Athletics --