BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Henderson State fought back from a loss to East Central earlier on Friday to defeat Arkansas Tech, 8-5 and earn its second trip to Great American Conference Softball Championship Saturday. GAC Freshman and Pitcher of the Year Michelle Sorensen threw the final 4.2 innings to earn her third win at the GAC Championships. After going a combined 0-for-5 in a shutout defeat to ECU, the Reddies' Amy Halter and Sarah Gipson went 5-for-9 with four runs scored and two RBI.
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GAC Softball Championships - Game 13 |
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#1 Henderson State (40-12) |
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#4 Arkansas Tech (40-20) |
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HOW THEY SCORED:
HSU 1st – Keirsten Seahorn flied out to cf; Amy Halter scored.
HSU 1st – Taylor Daniels doubled to center field; Sarah Gipson scored.
ATU 1st – Janie Knowles grounded into double play; Alex Edinger scored.
ATU 1st – Whitney Robinson homered to left center.
HSU 2nd – Halter reached on a fielder's choice; Courtney Warren scored.
ATU 2nd – Chelsea Reeves flied out to right field; Ashley Savage scored.
ATU 4th – Edinger singled to left field; Reeves scored.
HSU 5th – Daniels reached on an error; Alison Waggoner scored.
HSU 5th – Morgan South out on a sacrifice bunt; Seahorn scored.
HSU 5th – Caroline Cullins reached on a fielder's choice; Daniels scored.
ATU 5th – Savage grounded out to second; Robinson scored.
HSU 6th – Gipson doubled down the left field line; Halter scored.
HSU 6th – Daniels singled to right field; Gipson scored.
AT THE PLATE:
HSU - Gipson: 3-for-4, 2B, RBI, 2 R; Daniels: 2-for-4, 2B 2 RBI; Halter: 2-for-5, 2 R, RBI
ATU - Robinson: 2-for-2, HR, 2 R, RBI, 2 BB; Alexa Winberly: 3-for-4; Alex Edinger: 2-for-4, RBI, R
ON THE MOUND:
W – Michelle Sorensen (19-9); 4.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R/2 ER, 1 K/1 BB
L – Morgan Vaughan (12-8): 6.0 IP, 10 H, 8 R/6 ER, 2 K/2 BB
NOTABLE:
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Reddies earn second appearance to Championship Saturday - 2013; lost 6-2 to SE in final
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HSU records first 40-win season in program history; eighth in GAC history and sixth GAC school to record a 40-win season since 2012 (SE has three 40-win seasons)
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HSU's Halter & Gipson: 17-for-25 with 11 RBI in three GAC Softball Championships wins; 0-for-5 in loss
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Sorensen: improves to 3-1 with a 1.69 ERA at the GAC Championships; has 25 K in 20.2 IP
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Sorensen: became sixth GAC pitcher to win at least three games at a single GAC Championships
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After going 2-6 at the GAC Championships prior to this year, Arkansas Tech went 3-2 this season
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ATU falls to 1-5 this season vs HSU and 0-4 vs the Reddies all-time in GAC Championship play
WHAT’S NEXT:
Henderson State: Will play East Central needing two wins to claim the GAC Softball Championship title beginning at Noon on Saturday.
Arkansas Tech: Eliminated; will await at-large fate to NCAA Division II Central Regional.
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GAC Softball Championships - Game 11 |
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#2 East Central (31-13) |
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In a matchup between the two top seeds the 2015 Great American Conference Softball Championships, East Central punched its ticket to "Championship Saturday" by scoring five times in the final two innings and riding the right of Lacey Paulk to a 5-0 win against No. 1 Henderson State. The Tigers will play for its first-ever GAC Softball Championship title at Noon on Saturday with two chances at claiming the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Central Regional Tournament.
HOW THEY SCORED:
ECU 6th – Lauren Reeves singled to shortstop; Autumn Suydam scored.
ECU 6th – Peyton Watson grounded out to shortstop; Jordan VanPelt scored.
ECU 7th – VanPelt reached on an error; Haley Hyatt scored and Erin Sanders scored.
ECU 7th – Reeves singled to left center; Suydam scored.
AT THE PLATE:
ECU - Reeves: 3-for-4, 2 RBI; Suydam: 1-for-4, 2 RBI
HSU - Taylor Daniel: 1-for-3, 2B
ON THE MOUND:
W – Lacey Paulk: CG, SHO, 7.0 IP, 3 H, 2 K/0 BB
L – Michelle Sorensen (18-9); 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R/2 ER, 9 K, 3 BB
NOTABLE:
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ECU extended its win streak to 11, its longest since joining the GAC
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First time ECU has advanced to Championship Saturday; second time ECU has won three games at the GAC Softball Championships (3-2 in 2013)
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No. 2 Seeds improved to 3-2 against No. 1 seeds at the GAC Softball Championships
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ECU's Paulk won for the 10th time in her last 11 decisions
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ECU improves to 14-6 vs HSU since the creation of the GAC, but just 1-3 vs HSU at GAC Championships
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Henderson State shut out for just the third time this year, second time by ECU (1-0 on 2/21)
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HSU's Amy Halter & Sarah Gipson: 0-for-5; combined to go 12-for-16 with 9 RBI in two games on Thursday
WHAT'S NEXT:
East Central: will Play Henderson State for GAC Softball Championships at Noon on Saturday.