Softball Set to Open GAC Tournament Run

DURANT, Okla. – Southeastern softball will begin its postseason run on Thursday, May 4 in the opener of the Great American Conference Tournament when the fourth-seeded Savage Storm take on fifth-seeded Arkansas Tech at 10 a.m. in Bentonville, Ark.
 
The Savage Storm enter the postseason 30-25 overall and earn the No. 4 seed after putting together a 23-10 conference record that included winning 10 of its 11 series.
 
That run of GAC series includes a trio of sweeps, one of them coming against ATU when the Storm handed the Golden Suns losses of 4-0, 4-2, and 4-2.
 
SE enters the postseason led on offense by Sabetha Sands who is hitting .338 with a team-high 15 doubles while adding 19 RBI.
 
Cheyenne Mahy is hitting .316 but leads the team in home runs with six and RBI with 25.
 
Gracie Ore is next in line with a .311 average with 10 doubles.
 
Reese Taylor leads the pitching staff in ERA with a 2.76 mark to go with her 10-9 record, while Amberlyn Walworth leads the way in wins with a 14-11 record and strikeouts with 150.
 
ATU comes into he tournament as the fifth seed with a conference record of 17-15 and an overall record of 28-23.
 
The Golden Suns are led by Jessica Williams who is hitting .303, while Makenzie Addis paces the club with nine homers and 39 RBI.
 
The ATU pitching staff is led by Bailey Buffington who is 15-9 on the year with a 1.79 ERA and 86 strikeouts.
 
A win in the opener would advance the Storm to the semifinals which would pit them against the winner between top-seed Oklahoma Baptist and No. 8 Southern Nazarene in a game that would take place on May 5 at 12:30 p.m.
 
A second win would earn a berth in the GAC final which is slated for 12:30 p.m. on May 6.