The Golden Suns completed the second day of play at the GSC/Midwest Crossover Tournament by splitting their two games. Tech opened with a 3-2 win over Drury to improve to 3-0 in the tournament and then suffered an 11-1 loss at the hands of SIU Edwardsville. Tech, which opened the tournament on Friday with wins over Southern Indiana and Missouri St. Louis, needed a comeback to earn the win over Drury and then recorded just four hits and committed two errors against the NFCA top-ranked Cougars.

In Saturday’s opener, Drury, who is in its first season of competition, jumped on the scoreboard first as they plated two runs thanks to three hits off of sophomore Casey Hammons in the fourth inning.

Tech, though, responded as they tied the game in the bottom of the fifth thanks to RBI singles from junior rightfielder Sarah Pratt and senior leftfielder Terra Brenner. In the sixth, Tech took the lead at 3-2 thanks sophomore designated player Taylor Gates’ run scoring single up the middle. Gates’ single scored freshman Kacie Visnia, who was pinch running for freshman first baseman Tiphani Moon, who walked to lead off the inning. That lead would hold up as junior Dana Aldrich relieved Hammons in the seventh after she allowed a leadoff single to Ashley Balazs. After Balazs’ single, Aldrich retired the next two hitters on strikeouts and then after allowing a hit to Laura McCarthy, she ended the game by forcing Chelsea King to ground out to Moon.

Hammons (2-1) earned the win as she tossed six innings and allowed five hits and two runs, while walking none and striking out five.

Brenner was Tech’s leader at the plate as she went 3-for-3 with an RBI. For the game, Tech collected just six hits and stole three bases.

In the second game, SIUE, the preseason No. 1 and defending NCAA Division II National Champion, played a game of long ball against the Golden Suns as the Lady Cougars hit five homers in the contest, including Lindsay Longfellow hitting two homers off of Aldrich. SIUE opened the game’s scoring with a run in the first inning thanks to a solo homer by Courtney Mall. The score grew to 2-0 in the second as Nicole Beecher walked, stole second and scored after two wild pitches from Aldrich.

In the third inning, Ashley Price hit a solo homer to increase SIUE’s lead to 3-0 and then Longfellow delivered a two-run homer over the left field fence to give her team a 5-0 lead. SIUE added two more run on a bases loaded walk and a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning off of freshman reliever Chelsea Morgan to push in front 7-0.

The Cougars increased its lead to 11-0 in the sixth inning thanks to five hits and four runs off of Hammons and Aldrich. In the inning, Kaeleigh Rousey had a tworun homer and Longfellow then followed with her second homer of the game, a solo shot over the left field fence.

Tech, though, would prevent Lindsey Laas’ bid for a shutout in the bottom of the sixth inning as junior centerfielder Krista Cifuentes drove in freshman second baseman Jessica Fields on an RBI groundout.

Fields had reached on a one-out double to centerfield. Laas (1-0) pitched six innings and allowed four hits and one run, while walking four and striking out two.

Aldrich (3-1) earned the loss as she pitched 3.2 innings and allowed nine hits and seven runs, while striking out three and walking one. Morgan and Hammons combined to pitch 2.1 innings and allowed three hits and four runs, including two earned runs and walked five and struck out none.

Pratt led Tech’s offense with two hits, while Moon and Fields each recorded a hit in the loss.

SIUE was led by two hits apiece from Mall, Rousey, Longfellow and Chaleen Rumpf. Rousey and Longfellow each had 3 RBIs in the win, while Mall, Price, Rousey and Longfellow all scored two runs.