The East Central University softball team will be in action at Lady Tiger Field for the first time during the 2014 season this weekend when they host Arkansas Tech for a four-game Great American Conference series.  The teams are scheduled to play double-headers both Friday, Feb. 28 (1 p.m.) and Saturday, March 1 (Noon).

Game Notes

The Coverage
Fans who can't be at the game can find links to live stats, live video (if available) on ECUTigers.com.  Go to the softball schedule page.

Scouting Arkansas Tech
The Golden Suns are 5-3 overall and will play their first GAC games of the season when they travel to Ada.

ATU has a team batting average of .304 and is allowing just a .276 mark by the opposition.  The Golden Suns also hold a small 66 to 55 advantage in the hits column for the season.

ATU is led by Ashley Keen, with a .417 batting average.  Keen has 10 hits, six runs scored and one RBI.  Ashley Savage is next on the list with a .407 average, 11 hits, eight runs scored and eight RBIs.

Victoria Huie is the top pitcher on the Golden Suns squad, with a 2-0 record and 22 innings of action.  She has a 3.27 ERA, four strikeouts and has allowed 35 hits and 15 runs.  Sydnee Clark has seen 15 innings of work, with a 1-1 record and 3.00 ERA to her credit.  She has allowed nine hits and five runs, while striking out nine batters.

Against the Golden Suns
In 2013, the Lady Tigers went 3-1 against ATU on the road.  While both teams recorded 34 hits, ECU earned the advantage by driving home 13 runs to nine by the Golden Suns.

Sophomore Lauren Reeves is the top returner for the Lady Tigers, with a .571 batting average, eight hits and three RBIs.  Junior Chelsea Patterson added five hits and a .385 average.

Junior Brianna Nunley was strong in the circle for ECU, with a 2-0 record.  She allowed 16 hits and tallied eight strike outs in two complete games.

Ashley Keen and Whitney Robinson are the top returners for ATU.  Keen hit .750, with nine hits and two RBIs.  Robinson added eight hits and two RBIs.

Victoria Huie went 1-1 in the circle, with a 3.86 ERA.  She gave up 15 hits and struck out six.

Tigert Player of the Week
Sophomore Leah Tigert had a strong first GAC weekend for the Lady Tigers and was named the GAC Player of the Week for her efforts.

Tigert notched a pair of four-hit games in the Lady Tigers' four-game series against the Lady Reddies. She hit .688 with a 1.125 slugging percentage.

The Hennepin, Okla., native collected a home run, a triple and two doubles. She scored three runs and drove in five runs. During her current six-game hitting streak, she has recorded five multiple-hit games.

Reeves Stepping Up
Sophomore Lauren Reeves came up big for ECU in the opening GAC series against Henderson State.  The Tulsa, Okla., native tallied a .467 average, seven hits, five runs scored and seven RBIs.  The biggest hits she had in the weekend came in day one.  In the opening game, Reeves hit a game-winning double that scored three of the seven runs the Lady Tigers tallied in the top of the seventh to rally and win.  Reeves also added a game-winning grand slam in game two of the day.

Nunley GAC Pitcher of Week
Junior Brianna Nunley was been named the Great American Conference Pitcher of the Week for Feb. 11.

The Moore, Okla., native earned two wins against No. 17 Angelo State at the Rambelles' George McCorkle Classic. On Saturday, she recorded her third career shutout as she held Angelo State to just five hits. On Sunday, she entered the game with the score tied at four and threw two scoreless innings as the Lady Tigers rallied for a win.

Solid Suydam
Sophomore Autumn Suydam had a strong weekend at the George McCorkle Classic, hitting .538.  Suydam led ECU with seven hits, added four runs and two RBIs.  After her performance over the weekend she is now ranked in the top-10 in eight categories in the GAC statistics.

VanPelt Belting Some Out
Sophomore Jordynn VanPelt had a big day for the Lady Tigers in the opening day of the ASU Tournament.  VanPelt hit two game-winning home runs.  In the first game, against Texas A&M International, she hit a three-run shot over the scoreboard in center field.  In the second game of the day she sent home the only two runs of the game, with a shot to left field against Angelo State.

GAC Preseason Poll
The success from a year ago and the retention of the majority of the 2013 squad has not gone unnoticed by the GAC coaches, as ECU was picked to finish second (87 points/2 first-place votes) in the 2014 GAC Preseason Poll.

Southeastern Oklahoma State was picked to finish first, with 97 points and seven first-place votes.  Arkansas-Monticello was picked third (75 points/2 first-place votes), Arkansas Tech fourth (70 points), Southern Arkansas fifth (60 points), Henderson State sixth (59), Ouachita Baptist and Southern Nazarene seventh (36 points), Northwestern Oklahoma State ninth (33), Southwestern Oklahoma State 10th (27) and Harding 11th (25).

Up Next
The Lady Tigers will return to the road to face Harding, the newest member of the GAC softball field.  ECU and the Lady Bisons are scheduled to play March 7-8.