State sports briefs

Arkansas Tech wins GAC tournament title Arkansas Tech University completed an undefeated run through the Great American Conference Softball Championships as the Golden Suns rallied for a 2-1 victory against Southern Nazarene on Sunday at the Tiger Athletic Complex in Bentonville.

The Golden Suns (43-17) trailed 1-0 in the fifth inning until Bailey Bunch hit a two-out home run down the right-field line to even the score.

The game remained tied until the top of the seventh when Bunch came up with runners on first and second and two out. Her grounder to short eluded the glove of Kriston Shumaker, which allowed Sarah Coronado to score from second with the go-ahead run.

The Crimson Storm (27-28-1) pieced together a two-out rally in their half of the seventh inning as Kendall Stockstill singled and Mahina Sauer walked. Katelyn Brown lifted a 3-1 offering to right field that Janie Knowles hauled in for the game’s final out.

Bunch and Knowles earned spots on the All-Tournament team along with teammates Ashton Sangster, Makenzie Addis and Megan Goodnight, the tournament MVP.

Goodnight finished the tournament with a 2-0 record as a pitcher and a .429 average as a hitter. She did not allow an earned run in 131/3 innings, and she had a home run and 4 RBI. Bunch hit .353, Knowles went 6-for-13, Sangster stole five bases and Addis drove in six runs.

Brown took the ball as the Crimson Storm’s starter for the fifth consecutive GAC championship game. She recorded her fourth complete game of the tournament and finished the week with a 3-2 record and a 1.70 ERA to garner All-Tournament honors for the second consecutive year.

Caitlyn Curlee and Kaley Knox joined Brown on the All-Tournament team. Knox hit .417 for the week and Curlee had four hits. GAC Player of the Year Brooke Goad and Pitcher of the Year Victoria Taylor represented Southern Arkansas University on the team. Harding University’s Amanda Berry also made the team.