RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The East Central University softball team traveled to Arkansas for a Great American Conference road series against Arkansas Tech University on Friday. The Tigers found their bats late but fell short in game one, losing 6-3. In game two, ECU battled through a pitcher's duel but suffered a heartbreaking 1-0 walk-off loss to the Golden Suns.
 
The Tigers will aim to salvage the series in the finale on Saturday at 12 p.m.
 
GAME 1 | ECU 3, ATU 6
Arkansas Tech jumped out to an early 4-0 lead, scoring two runs in the second inning and two more in the fourth.
 
ECU's offense struggled to get going early, recording just two hits in the first four innings. However, the Tigers cut into the deficit in the fifth, with Elyse LeClair driving in Addisyn Cox with an RBI single.
 
The Tigers trimmed the gap further in the sixth when McKinley Feazle's RBI fielder's choice plated Shayne Roberts, making it a 4-2 game. But Arkansas Tech responded with two runs on three hits in the bottom half to extend their lead to 6-2.
 
Amiah Galcatcher kept the game alive with a two-out solo homer to left field, but ECU couldn't rally further, with the final out ending their comeback attempt.
 
Taylor Spence started in the circle, pitching 3.1 innings and taking the loss after allowing four runs (two earned) on seven hits while striking out four. Lindsey Mauppin relieved, tossing 2.2 innings, allowing two runs on four hits.
 
Addisyn Cox went 2-for-3 at the plate, while Elyse LeClair, Amiah Galcatcher, Caton Muncy, and Shayne Roberts each had one hit. Galcatcher's homer was her seventh of the season.
 
GAME 2 | ECU 0, ATU 1
Game two was a defensive showdown, with both teams playing tight, error-free softball. Arkansas Tech's first hit came in the second inning, while ECU didn't get their first hit until the third, when McKinley Feazle led off with a single to left-center.
 
Both teams had scoring chances in the fifth inning, but each made clutch defensive plays to keep the game scoreless. ATU executed back-to-back force outs at second base to end an ECU threat, and McKinley Feazle helped prevent a Golden Suns score by fielding a hard-hit single and throwing the runner out at home.
 
The Golden Suns' relief pitcher retired the Tigers in order in the sixth, and ECU was unable to capitalize in the seventh. Arkansas Tech then threatened in the bottom of the seventh, with a lead-off double putting a runner in scoring position. After a sacrifice bunt moved the runner to third, a walk-off single to left-center sealed the 1-0 win for ATU.
 
Starting pitcher Chloe Williams delivered a strong performance, going 6.2 innings, allowing just one run on seven hits, but suffered the loss.
 
Amiah Galcatcher, Emily Bingham, and McKinley Feazle recorded ECU's three hits in the game.