BENTONVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas Tech and Southeastern Oklahoma State picked up second wins of the day on Saturday as the Golden Suns and Savage Storm advanced to the final of the Great American Conference Softball Championships. Arkansas Tech shut out rival Harding and Southeastern fended off Ouachita at the Tiger Athletic Complex.
In the opening semifinal, Kristen Dempsey limited the Lady Bisons (35-23) to only two hits in a 3-0 shutout. She did not walk a batter and faced only two batters of the minimum in moving her record to 14-3.
Harding’s Jenna Hipp matched Dempsey through the first five innings. Hipp, who threw the fourth no-hitter in GAC Championship on Friday, held the Golden Suns (43-13) to just three hits in through those five innings. In the sixth inning, however, Tymber Riley doubled and scored on a Paty Loredo groundout.
One inning later, Bailey Bunch and Gaby Vasquez opened the frame with back-to-back singles. Two outs later, Ashton Sangster singled to center to bring home both runners.
Arkansas Tech advanced to the final for the second-straight year. The have won six-straight GAC Championship contests.
In the second semifinal, the Savage Storm used a six-run third inning to defeat the eight-seeded Tigers by the count of 7-4.
After scoring a run in the top of the first. Southeastern (29-27) opened the second inning with a solo home run from Elexis Watson. After a one-out double by Katie McCullar, Mykaela Wallace hit Southeastern’s second home run of the inning – a two-run shot to left field.
Ivy Amador and Hope Deanda continued the Savage Storm hit parade with back-to-back singles. Kamarie Wallace slugged the third home run of the frame to cap the six-run rally.
Ouachita (22-33) chipped away at the lead thanks to Leighton Withers. She hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning and added a run-scoring triple in the seventh inning.
McCullar allowed three runs in 5.2 innings of work to improve to 17-7. Marissa Butler took the loss.
The Savage Storm advanced the title game for the fourth time in eight years, but for the first time since 2014. The four trips to the final set a GAC record.