Tweet #theGAC BENTONVILLE, Ark. – In a matchup between two of the NCAA Division II Central Region's top five teams, Henderson State remained the GAC Softball Championships Winner's Bracket as the Reddies defeated Arkansas Tech, 9-4, in Thursday night's finale from the Tiger Athletic Complex. The Reddies collected a GAC Championships record 17 hits, led by four each from GAC Player of the Year Sarah Gipson and Amy Halter. 

GAC Softball Championships - Game 8	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
#1 Henderson State (39-11)	3	0	0	2	0	1	3	9	17	1
#4 Arkansas Tech (38-19)	2	1	0	0	0	1	0	4	6	2

HOW THEY SCORED:
   HSU 1st – Tricia Hock scored on a throwing error by shortstop.
   HSU 1st – Sarah Gipson doubled to center field; Amy Halter scored.
   HSU 1st – Taylor Daniels grounded out to second; Gipson scored.
   ATU 1st – Ashley Savage singled to right field; Janie Knowles scored.
   ATU 2nd – Shanna Davidson scored on a wild pitch.
   HSU 4th – Caroline Cullins reached on a throwing error; Ashlyn White scored.
   HSU 4th – Alicia Zack singled to shortstop; Cullins scored.
   HSU 6th – Gipson singled down the right fied line; Zack scored.
   ATU 6th – Alex Edinger grounded out to second; Whitney Robinson scored.
   HSU 7th – Zack singled to left center; C. Cullins scored.
   HSU 7th – Gipson doubled to left center; Halter and Zack scored.
  
AT THE PLATE:
   HSU - Gipson: 4-for-5, 2 2B, 4 RBI; Halter: 4-for-5, 2 R, 1 RBI; Zack: 3-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 R; Hock: 3-for-5, 3B
   ATU - Savage: 1-for-3, 2 RBI
 
ON THE MOUND:
   W – Michelle Sorensen (18-8): 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R/ 1 ER, 4 K/4 BB
   L – Morgan Vaughan (11-7); 3.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R/4 ER
   SV – Ashlyn White (4): 2.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R/ 1 ER, 2 K/1 BB
 
NOTABLE:

• The higher seed won each of the eight GAC Softball Championships games played. The higher seed had gone 17-7 on the opening day in the previous three GAC Championships.
• Henderson State matched the program record for wins in a season (2006, 2008)
• Amy Halter went 7-for-8 in two Thursday hits; owns a career .480 average at the GAC Championships
• Sarah Gipson improved to 20-for-49 (.408) with 15 RBI in 14 GAC Softball Championship games
• Reddies have won four straight vs Golden Suns, all since April 19
• Golden Suns drop to 2-7 at GAC Softball Championships; has never won two games at a single GAC Championship
• Arkansas Tech drops to 0-3 vs Henderson State at the GAC Softball Championships

 WHAT’S NEXT:
  Henderson State: Will play East Central at 3 PM on Friday.
  Arkansas Tech: Will play Southern Nazarene at 11 AM on Friday.

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GAC Softball Championships - Game 6	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
#5 Harding (23-31)	0	0	2	2	0	1	0	5	7	0
#8 Southern Arkansas (26-24)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	2

BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Harding's Amber Rollins tossed a three-hit shutout as the Lady Bisons eliminated the defending Great American Conference Softball Champion Southern Arkansas Lady Muleriders, 5-0. Kimmy Hendricks hit a home run. 

HOW THEY SCORED:
   HU 3rd – Kimmy Hendricks reached on a throwing error; Kinsey Beck scored.
   HU 3rd – Mackenzie Jones walked; Brookelynn Moon scored on a wild pitch.
   HU 4th – Jessica Greene singled to right field; Emily Jones scored.
   HU 4th – Hendricks out at first, picked off, caught stealing; Greene scored.
   HU 6th – Hendricks homered to left center.
  
AT THE PLATE:
   HU -  Jones: 2-for-3, R; Hendricks: 1-for-2 HR, BB
   SAU - Audrey Farfan: 1-for-2, BB; Sarah Higginbotam: 1-for-2, BB
 
ON THE MOUND:
   W – Amber Rollins (15-14): CG, SHO, 7.0 IP, 3 H, 7 K/3 BB
   L – Abby Weaver (3-4); CG, 7.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R/4 ER, 6 K/5 BB
 
NOTABLE:

• Harding recorded just its fourth shutout since restarting the program at the start of the 2014 season.
• Amber Rollins: third career shutout; fewest hits allowed in a shutout.
• Harding defeated SAU for the first time since restarting the program (1-4)
• SAU: First defending GAC Softball Champion to go 0-2 at the followng year's Championship
• Lady Muleriders hit .077 (3-for-39) at the GAC Championships
• No. 8 seeds have never won a GAC Softball Championships game (0-8)

 WHAT’S NEXT:
  Harding: Will play Southeastern Oklahoma State at 1 PM on Friday.
  Southern Arkansas: Eliminated

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GAC Softball Championships - Game 7	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
#2 East Central (30-13)	4	0	1	1	0	0	3	9	16	0
#3 Southeastern Oklahoma State (31-22)	0	2	0	0	0	0	6	8	10	0

BENTONVILLE, Ark. – East Central held off a furious seventh-inning rally from Southeastern Oklahoma State and earned a 9-8 win in Thursday's first winner's bracket contest from the 2015 Great American Conference Softball Championships. The Savage Storm scored six times in the seventh inning and stranded the potential tying and winning runs. 

HOW THEY SCORED:
   ECU 1st – Jordynn VanPelt homered to left field; Taylor Davis scored.
   ECU 1st – Samantha McGraw doubled to left field; Lauren Reeves scored.
   ECU 1st – Peyton Watson singled up the middle; Autumn Suydam scored.
   SE 2nd – Jacee Bennett homered to right center; Laramie Beal scored.
   ECU 3rd – Lacey Williams-Wenholm singled to left field; Carlee Henderson scored.
   ECU 4th – Davis homered to left field.
   ECU 7th – Watson singled to center field; Suydam scored.
   ECU 7th – Kayci Snider singled up the middle; Watson and McGraw scored.
   SE 7th – Darrian Williams grounded out to second; Haley Strawn scored.
   SE 7th – Conner Harmon doubled through the left side; Arianna Jones scored.
   SE 7th – Courtney Riddle singled to center field; Jessica Simmons and Shaina Crites scored.
   SE 7th – Beal singled up the middle; Sydney Kramer scored.
   SE 7th – Strawn singled to right center; Riddle scored.
 
AT THE PLATE:
   ECU - Davis: 4-for-5, HR, 2B, 2 R, 1 RBI; Suydam: 3-for-4, 3B, 2 R; Watson: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, R
   SE - Beal: 2-for-4, 2B, RBI, R; Strawn: 2-for-4, 2B, RBI, R; Bennett: 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI
 
ON THE MOUND:
   W – Marissa Shaffer (14-6): 6.2 IP, 9 H, 8 R/ 8 ER 1 K/1 BB
   L – Jessica Seay (14-9); 5.0 IP, 12 H, 8 R/8 ER, 2 K/0 BB
   SV – Lacey Paulk (3); 0.1 IP
 
NOTABLE:

• East Central reached the 30-win mark for the third consecutive season
• The GAC has four 30-win teams (ECU, SE Henderson State and Arkansas Tech) for the second-straight year.
• East Central opens the GAC Championships with two wins for the first time in the four-year history of the league
• ECU tied the GAC Softball Championships single-game record for hits in a game with 16 - the 3rd team to reach that mark.
• First time since 2012 that Southeastern suffered a loss at the GAC Championships prior to Championship Saturday

 WHAT’S NEXT:
  East Central: Will play the Henderson State/Arkansas Tech winner at 3 PM on Friday
  Southeastern Oklahoma State: Will play Southern Nazarene at 11 AM on Friday

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GAC Softball Championships - Game 5	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
#7 Arkansas-Monticello (24-25)	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	4	14	1
#6 Southern Nazarene (20-29)	0	2	2	0	2	0	X	6	11	0

BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Southern Nazarene withstood a late Arkansas-Monticello rally to pick up the first Great American Conference Softball Championship victory in program history as the Crimson Storm won 6-4 at Memorial Park. Kayla Wyatt, the GAC's single-season leader in strikeout, fanned eight in 6.2 innings of work. Jessica Thompson provided the bulk of the offense as she homered and drove in four runs.

HOW THEY SCORED:
   SNU 2nd – Jessica Thompson homered to center field; Melissa Padilla scored.
   SNU 3rd – Jill Clemence singled to center field; Kylie Lang scored.
   SNU 3rd – Thompson singled through the left side; Sam Smith scored.    
   SNU 5th – Padilla singled through the left side; Clemence scored.
   SNU 5th – Thompson singled to center field; Padilla scored.
   UAM 6th – Sydney Tipton homered to center field, RBI.
   UAM 6th – McKenzie Rice doubled down the left field line; Korie Parker scored.
   UAM 7th – Tipton homered to left center.
   UAM 7th – A. Stipes singled to shortstop; Parker scored.
 
AT THE PLATE:
   UAM - Sydney Tipton: 3-for-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R; Allison Stipes: 3-for-4, 2B, R
   SNU - Thompson: 3-for-3, HR, 4 RBI; Melissa Padilla: 2-for-3, 2 R; Jill Clemence: 2-for-3, 2B, RBI
 
ON THE MOUND:
   W – Kayla Wyatt (10-15): 6.2 IP, 14 H, 4 R/ 4 ER 8 K/1 BB
   L – Katie Slaughter (15-11); 4.1 IP, 11 H, 6 R/6 ER, 0 K/0 BB
   SV – Katelyn Brown (1); 0.1 IP
 
NOTABLE:

• Southern Nazarene earns its first GAC Softball Championships victory
• The higher seeded seeded team has won the first five games for the first time in GAC Softball Championship history
• No. 6 seeds improve to 6-7 at the GAC Softball Championships, only the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds have a higher winning percentage.
• UAM's Sarah Tipton became second player to hit two home runs in a GAC Softball Championship game (HSU's Ashlyn White vs UAM on 5/2/14)
• First time in the GAC that Arkansas-Monticello has gone 0-2 at the Softball Championships.

WHAT’S NEXT:
  Arkansas-Monticello: Eliminated
  Southern Nazarene: Will play the Henderson State/Arkansas Tech loser at 11 AM on Friday

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GAC Softball Championships - Game 4	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
#5 Harding (22-31)	0	1	0	1	0	0	X	2	6	1
#4 Arkansas Tech (38-18)	1	4	0	2	1	2	X	10	16	0

BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas Tech tied a Great American Conference Softball Championship record by collecting 16 hits in 10-2 win against Harding in Thursday's opening round game from the Tiger Athletic Complex. Five Golden Suns registered multi-hit games, led by three-hit performances from Alex Edinger and Whitney Robinson.

HOW THEY SCORED:
   ATU 1st – Jalissa Gum flied out to center; Alex Edinger scored.
   HU 2nd – Amanda Berdon singled to right field; Madison Wickline scored.
   ATU 2nd – Edinger reached on a fielder's choice; Ashley Anderson scored.
   ATU 2nd – Janie Knowles homered to left field; Edinger scored; Shanna Davidson scored.
   HU 4th – Berdon singled to shortstop; Brookelynn Moon scored.
   ATU 4th – Davidson scored on a throwing error.
   ATU 4th – Alexas Wimberly singled to right center; Edinger scored.
   ATU 5th – Edinger singled; Whitney Robinson scored.
   ATU 6th – C. Reeves singled through the left side; K. Hill scored.
   ATU 6th – W. Robinson tripled to left center; C. Reeves scored.
 
AT THE PLATE:
   HU - Amanda Berdon: 3-for-3, 2 RBI
   ATU - Edinger: 3-for-4, 2 RBI, 3 R, 2 RBI; Robinson: 3-for-3, 2 2B, 3B, RBI, R; Knowles: 3-for-3, HR
 
ON THE MOUND:
   W – Morgan Vaughan (11-6): 2.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R/ 0 ER 4 K/1 BB
   L – Amber Rollins (14-14); 3.0 IP, 8 H, 7 R/7 ER, 3 K/1 BB
 
NOTABLE:

• Second-straight year that all four top seeds won its opening game
• Arkansas Tech's 16 hits tie the GAC Softball Championships single-game record (HSU vs OBU, 4/26/12)
• Arkansas Tech ends a five-game GAC Softball Championship losing streak (Last win: 4/26/12 vs ECU) and improves to 2-6 at the GAC Championships
• Harding has lost its last three GAC Softball Championship games and last six games overall

WHAT’S NEXT:
  Harding: Will play Southern Arkansas at 8 PM at Tiger Athletic Complex
  Arkansas Tech: Will play Henderson State at 8 PM at Memorial Park

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GAC Softball Championships - Game 3	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
#8 Southern Arkansas (26-23)	0	0	0	0	0	X	X	0	0	0
#1 Henderson State (38-11)	0	5	1	3	X	X	X	9	10	0

BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Henderson State's Michelle Sorensen, the Great American Conference's Freshman and Pitcher of the Year turned in a most impressive debut as she no-hit Southern Arkansas, the defending GAC Softball Champions, 9-0. Sarah Gipson, the GAC Player of the Year, hit a two-run home run to lead a 10-hit attack for the offense.

HOW THEY SCORED:
   HSU 2nd – Tricia Hock singled up the middle; Ashlyn White scored.
   HSU 2nd – Amy Halter doubled to left center; Hock and Caroline Cullins scored.
   HSU 2nd – Sarah Gipson homered to right center; Amy Halter scored.
   HSU 3rd – White homered to left field.
   HSU 4th – Kiersten Seahorn singled up the middle; Hock scored.
   HSU 4th – Taylor Daniels out on sacrifice bunt; Halter scored.
   HSU 4th – White singled to center field; Allison Waggoner scored.
 
AT THE PLATE:
   SAU - Aston Atwell: 0-for-1, BB
   HSU - Halter: 3-for-3, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R; White: 2-for-2, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R; Gipson: 1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI
 
ON THE MOUND:
   W – Sorensen (17-8): CG, SHO, 5.0 IP, 0 H, 6 K/1 BB
   L – Jami Godwin (10-7; 1.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R/5 ER, 0 K/3 BB
 
NOTABLE:

• Sorensen: 2nd no-hitter in GAC Softball Championship history (SAU's Hanna Gill, 4/25/13 vs SWOSU)
• Henderson State defeats SAU for the first time at the GAC Softball Championships (1-2)
• No. 1 seeds improve to 12-2 all-time at the GAC Softball Championships
• Gipson: .364 with 11 RBI in 13 career GAC Softball Championship games
• No. 8 seeds fall to 0-7 all-time at the GAC Softball Championships 

 WHAT’S NEXT:
   Southern Arkansas: Will play Harding at 8 PM at Tiger Athletic Complex
   Henderson State: Will play Arkansas Tech at 8 PM at Memorial Park

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GAC Softball Championships - Game 2	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
#7 Arkansas-Monticello (24-24)	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	2
#2 East Central (29-13)	0	0	0	2	0	0	X	2	6	1

East Central's Marissa Shaffer threw a three-hit complete game as the Tigers earned a 2-1 victory against Arkansas-Monticello in Thursday's Great American Conference Softball Championship opening round game from the Tiger Athletic Complex. The Tigers plated two runs in the fourth inning. 

HOW THEY SCORED:
   UAM 1st – Lacy Blanchard doubled to center field; McKenzie Rice scored.
   ECU 4th – Samantha McGraw singled to right center; Carlee Henderson scored.
   ECU 4th – Peyton Watson flied into double play; Autumn Suydam scored.
   
 
AT THE PLATE:
   UAM - Lacy Blanchard: 2-for-3, 2 2B
   ECU - Taylor Davis: 2-for-3; Autumn Suydam: 1-for-3, R
 
ON THE MOUND:
   W – Marissa Shaffer (13-6): CG, 7.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R/1 ER, 4 K/1 BB
   L – Katie Slaughter (15-10); CG, 6.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R/1 ER, 3 K/0 BB
 
NOTABLE:

• No. 2 seeds improve to 5-0 against No. 7 seeds at the GAC Championships
• ECU improves to 4-1 against UAM this season
• ECU improves to 8-2 in one-run games this season
• With a fourth inning single, ECU's Autumn Suydam extended her hitting streak to 15 straight games
• With two base hits, ECU's Taylor Davis has reached base safely in 22 straight games
• UAM loses GAC Championship opener for the second straight year

 
WHAT’S NEXT:
   Arkansas-Monticello: Will play Southern Nazarene at 6 PM at Memorial Park
   East Central: Will play Southeastern Oklahoma State at 6 PM at Tiger Athletic Complex

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GAC Softball Championships - Game 1	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
#6 Southern Nazarene (19-29)	0	0	0	0	0	X	X	0	5	2
#3 Southeastern Oklahoma State (31-21)	0	2	0	0	6	X	X	8	6	0

HOW THEY SCORED:
   SE 2nd – Jacee Bennett reached on a throwing error; Arianna Jones scored.
   SE 2nd – Jessica Simmons hit by pitch; Bennett scored.
   SE 5th – Haley Strawn reached on a fielder's choice; Shaina Crites scored.
   SE 5th – Bennett singled to shortstop; Strawn & Breanna Smith scored.
   SE 5th – Sydney Kramer walked; Bennett scored.
   SE 5th – Courtney Riddle singled through the left side; Simmons and Darrian Williams scored.
 
AT THE PLATE:
   SNU - Jill Clemence: 2-for-2, 2 1B
   SE - Simmons: 2-for-2, 3B, R, RBI, SB; Riddle: 2-for-2, 2B, 2 RBI; Bennett: 1-for-2, 2 RBI, 2 R
 
ON THE MOUND:
   W – Seay, SE (15-8): 5.0 IP, 5 H 3 K/0 BB 
   L – Wyatt, SNU (9-15): 4.2 IP, 6 H, 8 R/7 ER, 4 K/4 BB
 
NOTABLE:

• Southeastern improves to 4-0 in GAC Championship opening round games
• Savage Storm tie GAC Softball Championship single-game record with 3 stolen bases
• Savage Storm imrove to 9-1 against Crimson Storm since the start of the 2013 season
• Southern Nazarene: First GAC Softball Championship Game
• SNU's Wyatt increased strikeout total to 213, extending her GAC single-season record

 
WHAT’S NEXT:
   Southern Nazarene: Will play loser of East Central/Arkansas-Monticello at 6 PM at Memorial Park
   Southeastern: Will play winner of East Central/Arkansas-Monticello at 6 PM at Tiger Athletic Complex