ADA – Due to the heavy rain in the area in the last week, the East Central University softball team has moved the four-game Great American Conference series against Arkansas Tech to doubleheaders Friday, March 30 at 2 p.m. and Saturday, March 31 at noon.
The Tigers are 14-16 overall and 9-11 in the GAC after a rough weekend at Henderson State in their last outings. The 9-11 record places ECU in sixth in the GAC standings. There are just five weeks left to play, with eight teams advancing to the conference tournament and all 12 teams in the league still open to making the tournament.
The Tigers have seven players hitting over .300 for the season and one hitting .400. ECU is being led by junior
Breecia Crawford, with a .400 average, 24 hits, 16 runs and nine RBIs.
Of the five pitchers that have seen action this season, Freshman
Angel Stoker holds a 5-3 record in 53.0 innings of work. She has struck out 17 batters and allowed 50 hits and 32 (37 earned) runs.
The Golden Suns come into the series with a 23-9 overall mark and a 14-6 record in the league, putting them in fourth in the conference standings, just two spots above the Tigers.
Ten of the 18 players who have seen action at the plate for ATU have a batting average over .300. Sydnie Henson leads the team with a .391 average, 36 hits, 16 runs and 12 RBIs.
Five players have been in the circle for the Golden Suns, with four pitching more than five innings, three with over 40 and Kristen Dempsey netting 74.1 innings of work. Dempsey has a 6-2 record, three complete games, one shutout, 83 hits and 45 runs allowed and 55 Ks.
The all-time series between ECU and ATU stared in 2012, with 24 games having been played. The Golden Suns currently hold a 15-9 lead overall and 13-9 in GAC games, but the teams are knotted at 6-6 when playing at Tiger Field. ECU will be looking to break a 12-game losing streak in the series, with the last win coming Feb. 24, 2014 in Ada.
