Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 ADA – The East Central University softball team split the final day of the Great American Conference series with Arkansas Tech at Lady Tiger Field.  The Lady Tigers (13-8, 5-3 GAC) first earned an 11-3 win in six innings and then fell 0-13 in five innings.

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ECU was led by sophomore Leah Tigert, who hit .857 on the day, with six hits and four RBIs.  Sophomore Autumn Suydam added a .667 batting average, with four hits, two runs scored and an RBI.

Freshman Nicole Nordie earned the win in game one for the day, with 5.2 innings of action.  Nordie allowed four hits and two unearned runs, while striking out four batters.

The Lady Tigers will return to the road for a GAC series against Harding, March 7-8.  Double-headers are scheduled to start at 1 p.m., Friday, March 7 and noon, Saturday, March 8.

Game 1 – ECU 11, ATU 3
ECU started the game on a high note as Suydam hit a lead-off double and was sent home when Tigert added a double in the bottom of the first for a 1-0 lead.

The Golden Suns (7-5, 2-2 GAC) responded with three runs in the top of the second to take a 1-3 advantage.

The Lady Tigers quickly tied the game at three in the bottom of the second.  Junior Kaile Marcum reached with a single and was sent home when junior Samantha McGraw hit a home run.

ECU went ahead in the bottom of the third, with one run.  Tigert doubled and was joined on base when senior Gina Mengwasser drew a walk.  Nordie then reached on an error while attempting to hit a sacrifice bunt and that allowed Tigert to score for the 4-3 lead.

The Lady Tigers added three runs in the bottom of the fourth.  Junior Chelsea Patterson started the inning with a double and was joined on base by Suydam, who singled.  Sophomore Lauren Reeves scored the first run with a single and Tigert the second with a single.  The final run was scored on a single by VanPelt.

ECU ended the game an inning early when they tallied four runs in the bottom of the sixth for the 11-3 win.  Nordie was hit by a pitch and advanced to third on two wild pitches.  VanPelt and McGraw were both walked to load the basses and sophomore Amanda Edmundson drew a walk to send a run home.  Suydam added an RBI with a sacrifice fly to left field and the bases were again loaded when Reeves was walked.  The final two runs scored on a single by Tigert.

Game 2 – ATU 13, ECU 0
The teams held each other scoreless in game two until the Golden Suns recorded five runs in the top of the third.  ATU added eight more runs in the top of the fourth for a 0-13 lead.

The Lady Tigers were held without a hit until the bottom of the fourth and were unable to get more than two the entire game before falling 0-13 in five innings.