CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL | BENTONTVILLE, Arkansas – Arkansas Tech and Southern Nazarene each advanced to the title game of the Great American Conference Softball Championships for the first time their respective program histories following wins on Saturday at the Tiger Athletic Complex.
 
The day started with the Golden Suns (42-17) defeating the Crimson Storm (27-27-1) in the winner’s bracket final by a 6-0 margin. Megan Goodnight registered a five-hit shutout to improve to 16-4. Janie Knowles led the Tech offense by tallying a pair of hits, including a solo home run. She drove in two runs
 
Bailey Bunch drove home the game’s first two runs with a one-out triple in the third inning. Makenzie Addis scored on the play and she scored another run on an Ashton Sangster fifth-inning single.
 
Kaitlyn Brown suffered the loss, her first in three decisions at the GAC Championships.
 
Following Southern Arkansas’ 1-0 win against Harding in Saturday’s second game, the Lady Muleriders and Crimson Storm squared for the second time in as many days. Brown regained her form, as she became the first pitcher to record a complete-game shutout of the potent SAU offense this season.
 
After giving up a leadoff single to GAC Player of the Year Brooke Goad, Brown silenced the Lady Muleriders over the first six frames, as she did not allow another Lady Mulerider to reach via a hit until a single by Marina Duran in the bottom of the seventh.
 
Duran’s single put SAU runners on at first and second with nobody retired. Monica Islava successfully advanced the two runners with a sacrifice. Brown induced a foul out by Megan Godoyo and won an eight-pitch battle against Sarah Pietre with a strikeout, her sixth of the contest to eliminate the top-seeded Lady Muleriders.
 
Arkansas Tech need just one win on Sunday to claim its first GAC Softball Championship crown while Southern Nazarene must defeat the Golden Suns twice. Sunday’s title tilts begin at noon on GACSportsNetwork.com.