ADA – The East Central University softball team split the final two games of a four-game Great American Conference series with Arkansas-Monticello on Senior Day at Tiger Field.
Senior Day Photo GalleryThe Tigers (24-25, 21-17 GAC) fell 2-4 in the opening game and then got a 3-2 walk-off home run win in nine innings in the final game of the day. The team honored its six seniors before the start of the game, honoring
Taylor Davis,
Lacey Paulk,
Marissa Shaffer,
Autumn Suydam and
Jordynn VanPelt.
ECU was led by seniors
Jordynn VanPelt and
Lacey Paulk at the plate. VanPelt hit .714, with five hits, one run and an RBI. Paulk added a .400 average, two hits, one run, two RBIs. Paulk hit the game-winning home run in the second game, making it her second career and second of the weekend.
Junior
Sydney Dow picked up the win in the circle, throwing a complete game, allowing five hits and two runs and striking out nine.
The Tigers will now get ready for the final regular-season games of the 2016 season, as they travel to Southern Arkansas, April 22-23.
East Central 3, Arkansas-Monticello 2 (9)ECU took a quick 1-0 lead in the fourth inning. VanPelt started things with a double down the left-field line and was advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by senior
Lauren Reeves. Paulk sent the run home with a sacrifice fly to center.
However, the Cotton Blossoms (28-24, 22-19 GAC) gained the lead in the following inning, scoring two runs on a home run.
The Tigers drew the game even in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Taylor Davis hit a double just inside the left-field line and was sent to third on a sacrifice but by Suydam. VanPelt added a single to third and stole second. That allowed Reeves to earn an RBI when she grounded out up the middle.
The teams then held each other scoreless for the next two inning before a winner could be determined.
Paulk came to the plate at the start of the ninth inning for ECU and sent a shot deep over the left-field fence to earn the 3-2 win for the Tigers.
Arkansas-Monticello 4, East Central 2The Cotton Blossoms took the early advantage, scoring three runs in the second inning.
ECU cut the deficit to one in the third. ??
Caitlin Paolini started the inning by drawing a walk. ??
Mariah Ewy was added to the base path on a sacrifice bunt attempt that ended in an error.
Taylor Davis laid down a sacrifice bunt to put the runners on second and third. That allowed Suydam to earn an RBI with a sacrifice fly and VanPelt sent the second run home with a single to left.
However, UAM added a run in the fourth for the 2-4 lead.
The Tigers fought hard through the rest of the game, even getting the bases loaded in the sixth inning, but they were unable to get any more runs across the plate for the 2-4 final.
