Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
BENTONVILLE, Ark.- As the first day of the Great American Conference Tournament concluded, the Ouachita Lady Tigers find themselves still in the hunt. The double-elimination format played to Ouachita's advantage, as they dropped their first game by a score of 5-0, before bouncing back with a huge 11-2 win over No. 3 seed Arkansas Tech.
 
In their 5-0 loss, the Lady Tigers were only able to come up with two hits, compared to 12 for East Central, leading to their eventual 5-0 loss.
 
East Central scored a run in the first, a run in the second, a run in the fifth and two runs in the sixth.
 
Ouachita seemed to be stifled, and likely so, as they were tasked with trying to hit against ECU's Lacey Polk, who boasts an 18-2 record following the win early Thursday afternoon. Polk pitched a complete game shutout, recording four six strikeouts and only walking one.
 
Following their loss, the Lady Tigers were forced to face off in an elimination game with No. 3 seed Arkansas Tech. Tech lost earlier in the day to No. 6 seeded Henderson State in a 9-5 final.
 
The Lady Tigers weren't going home on Thursday though, as they found a huge offensive surge and took an 11-2 win over the Golden Suns.
 
The Lady Tigers scored six runs in the first inning, with a two RBI single to left center, a trio of singles that scored runners and a fielder's choice play that allowed a runner to cross home plate.
 
Tech didn't get any runs in the bottom of half of the inning, and the Lady Tigers stretched their lead even further, as Kailey Madden launched a bomb over the right field and gave her team a 7-0 lead heading into the bottom of the second.
 
The Golden Suns finally got themselves on the board in the bottom of the second with a two run homer to centerfield, but Tech was still looking at a huge deficit, with a 7-2 score on the board.
 
Ouachita continued to add to their run totals in the third inning, as a sacrifice bunt from Parrish Reed allowed Olivia Guin to score. That RBI bunt was followed by another scoring play, when Megan Askew raked a three run shot to right center, giving her 3 RBIs and her 11^th home run of the season.
 
The game was called following the fifth inning, advancing the Lady Tigers to Friday.
 
The Lady Tigers will take to the diamond again tomorrow, as they take on the loser of a game between Southeastern Oklahoma State and Arkansas-Monticello tomorrow at 11 a.m. in Bentonville.
 
-Josh Fink, Sports Information Director