Blossoms Improve to 26-11 Over Break

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BLOSSOMS SPLIT WITH DELTA STATE

   MONTICELLO (March 20)- The University of Arkansas at Monticello's Cotton Blossoms (26-11, 5-3 GSC) split a conference doubleheader with Delta State University, falling 6-4 in the opening contest but overcoming five errors with an eight-run fourth inning to pick up a 9-8 victory in the nightcap.

   The Lady Statesmen took a first-inning lead in the opener after an RBI single by Courtney Clark, but UAM tied the game in the bottom of the first as Becca Tipton (Fr., Dermott) swatted an RBI double to right, knotting the contest at 1-1.

   UAM pulled ahead in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Kate Brady (Jr., Longview, Texas), and added two more runs on an RBI grounder by Joleah Oxner (Sr., Monticello) and an RBI single by Terri Rodgers (Sr., Enterprise, Ala.), giving UAM a 4-1 lead after four.

   Delta State rallied with a four-run fifth inning to pull ahead 5-4, and extended their lead to 6-4 in the top of the seventh to seal the victory.

   Brady suffered the loss for the Cotton Blossoms after allowing six runs, five earned on 11 hits in seven innings and fanning four batters. Tipton, Lauren Brooks (Jr., West Monroe, La.), Gemma Gibson (Jr., Dodd City, Texas) and Meredith Heckel (Jr., Hot Springs) all had two hits in the loss.

   The nightcap seemed to be well in hand for Delta State, as the Lady Statesmen pulled ahead 3-0 after the second inning and extended their lead to 6-0 after four, but the Cotton Blossoms staged a two-out rally in the bottom of the fourth inning, eventually tying the contest on an RBI double by Brooks, and then taking an 8-6 lead after a two-run homer by Brady.

   Sarah Reed (Sr., McKinney, Texas) pushed the Cotton Blossoms’ lead to 9-6 with a solo homer to lead off the fifth inning, but the Lady Statesmen narrowed the gap to 9-8 with a two-run sixth.

   Brady entered the game in relief in the seventh to pick up her first save of the season.

   Alison North (Fr., Marion, La.) improved to 10-2 on the season after surrendering eight runs, three earned on 11 hits while fanning one in six innings. Brady’s save came after a hitless seventh inning.

   The Cotton Blossoms returned to action Friday, March 23, as they hosted Christian Brothers University in a Gulf South Conference doubleheader at Blossoms Field. First pitch was scheduled for 1 p.m.

BLOSSOMS SMASH TWELVE HOMERS, VAUGHN FIRES NO-HITTER IN SECOND-DAY SWEEP AT DSU CLASSIC

   CLEVELAND, MISS. (March 17) - The University of Arkansas at Monticello's Cotton Blossoms (25-10) combined to hit 12 home runs and used a second-game no-hitter by Leah Vaughn (Jr., Crestview, Fla.) to cruise to a second-day sweep at the Delta State University Classic, as UAM topped Benedict 10-0 in the opener before crushing Stillman 20-0 in the day’s finale.

   The Blossoms opened scoring in their opening game as Sarah Reed (Sr., McKinney, Texas) smashed a solo homer to right to give UAM an early 1-0 lead. The Blossoms pushed their lead to 2-0 as Kate Brady (Jr., Longview, Texas) scored on an error later in the inning.

   Meredith Heckel (Jr., Hot Springs) smashed a two-out homer in the third inning to extend the UAM lead to 3-0, before the Blossoms exploded for seven runs in the third inning, featuring a two-run double by Gemma Gibson (Jr., Dodd City, Texas), a two-run homer by Joleah Oxner (Sr., Monticello) and solo homers by Terri Rodgers (Sr., Enterprise, Ala.) and Heckel as the Blossoms pushed their lead to 10-0.

   It was all the offense that Alison North (Fr., Marion, La.) would need as the freshman improved to 9-4 on the season after tossing a four-hit shutout, fanning four. The shutout is North’s second consecutive, fifth on the season and fourth in her last five starts.

   Every Cotton Blossoms starter picked up a hit, with Heckel, Reed and Brady all picking up two hits.

   In the finale against Stillman, the Cotton Blossoms jumped out to a 3-0 lead as Jenny Dunn (Jr., Adelaide, Australia) cracked a three-run homer. The Blossoms made it back-to-back homers as Brady smashed a solo homer down the left field line, extending the UAM lead to 4-0. UAM tacked on two more runs in the second inning as Gibson hit a solo homer to lead off the inning, and then Dunn hit her second homer of the game to push the UAM lead to 6-0.

   The Blossoms exploded in the third for 11 runs on 10 hits, featuring a two-run triple by Gibson, an RBI double by Brady, an RBI double by Becca Tipton (Fr., Dermott), a two-run homer by Lauren Brooks (Jr., West Monroe, La.), another RBI single by Gibson and a three-run homer by Rodgers as the Blossoms extended their lead to 17-0 after the third inning.

   The Blossoms would get back on the board in the top of the fifth inning as Brady smashed a three-run homer, her second of the game to push the Blossoms’ lead to the final margin. 

   Vaughn fanned seven en route to the no-hitter. The no-hitter was the first of her career, and the first UAM no-hitter since April 5, 2005, when Ashley Burkett and Lindsay Rymes combined on a perfect game against Central Baptist.

   Brady picked up four hits in the victory. Tipton and Gibson both added three, while Oxner, Rodgers and Dunn both had two hits in the winning effort.

   UAM returned to action Tuesday, March 20, as they hosted Delta State University in a Gulf South Conference doubleheader at Blossoms Field. First pitch was scheduled for 1 p.m.

BLOSSOMS SWEEP ON OPENING DAY OF DSU CLASSIC

   CLEVELAND, MISS.  (March 16) - The University of Arkansas at Monticello's Cotton Blossoms (23-10) continued a string of dominant offensive performances with a first-day sweep at the Delta State University Classic, winning the opening game against Benedict 10-2 and then topping Stillman 14-0.

   The Blossoms opened scoring in the bottom of the third inning as Sarah Reed (Sr., McKinney, Texas) and Jenny Dunn (Jr., Adelaide, Australia) smashed back-to-back home runs to give the Cotton Blossoms an early 2-0 lead. Benedict tied the game in the top of the fourth on a two-run single by Chanika Brathwaite, but the Cotton Blossoms responded in the bottom of the inning as Meredith Heckel (Jr., Hot Springs) hit a two-run single to give the Cotton Blossoms a 4-2 lead.

   Reed extended the UAM lead to 5-2 immediately after with an RBI double.

   The Cotton Blossoms tacked on another run in the bottom of the fifth, as Lauren Brooks (Jr., West Monroe, La.) hit an RBI single and then Kayla Temple (Fr., Downsville, La.) smashed a two-run homer to push the UAM lead to 8-2.

   The Cotton Blossoms pushed their lead to 9-2 as Dunn hit her second home run of the game to lead off the bottom of the sixth inning, and then UAM invoked the eight-run rule as Temple hit an RBI double.

   Kate Brady (Jr., Longview, Texas) picked up the win for UAM after allowing two runs on five hits through six innings, fanning six and walking two. Reed and Brooks both picked up three hits in the victory, while Heckel, Dunn, Brady and Temple all picked up two hits.

   The Cotton Blossoms’ offensive performance continued in the second game in the bottom of the first, as UAM jumped ahead as Heckel scored on an error. Brady added a two-run homer and Brooks scored on an RBI grounder to give the Cotton Blossoms a 4-0 lead after one.

   Reed added an RBI double in the bottom of the second, pushing the UAM lead to 5-0.

   The Cotton Blossoms picked up a pair of runs in the bottom of the third as Temple smashed her second two-run homer of the day, giving the Cotton Blossoms a 7-0 lead. The Blossoms would save their biggest offensive performance for the fourth inning, as the Blossoms tacked on seven more runs on six hits, pushing their lead to 14-0.

   Needing three outs to invoke the eight-run rule, Alison North (Fr., Marion, La.) set Stillman down in order in the top of the fifth to seal the victory.

   North tossed her fourth shutout of the season, and her third in four games after allowing just two hits in five innings, fanning five. Heckel, Temple and Joleah Oxner (Sr., Monticello) all picked up two hits in the winning effort.

   The Cotton Blossoms returned to action Saturday, March 17, facing both Stillman and Benedict on the final day of the DSU Classic. UAM’s first game began at 10 a.m.

 BLOSSOMS SWEEP WEST FLORIDA

   PENSACOLA, FLA.  (March 14) - The University of Arkansas at Monticello's Cotton Blossoms (21-10) wrapped up a successful Florida trip with a doubleheader sweep of tournament host West Florida, topping the Argonauts 4-3 in the opening contest and winning a 3-2 decision in the nightcap.

   The wins mark the first time the Cotton Blossoms have ever swept a doubleheader from West Florida.

   In the opening contest, the Argonauts jumped ahead in the fourth inning as Julie Carroll hit a two-run triple to give UWF a 2-0 lead. However, the Cotton Blossoms broke through two innings later as Lauren Brooks (Jr., West Monroe, La.) tied the game in the bottom of the sixth inning with a two-run double.

   UWF reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the inning as Taren Walton hit an RBI double to give the Argonauts a 3-2 lead, but the Cotton Blossoms fought back in the top of the seventh inning as Sarah Reed (Sr., McKinney, Texas) hit a two-out double, moving the tying run over to third in the form of Terri Rodgers (Sr., Enterprise, Ala.).

   Two-time defending Gulf South Conference-West Division Player of the Week Jenny Dunn (Jr., Adelaide, Australia) came up big for the Blossoms, smacking a two-out, two-run double to give UAM a 4-3 lead; and starter Kate Brady (Jr., Longview, Texas) retired the Argonauts in order in the bottom of the seventh to seal the UAM victory.

   Brady (9-4) picked up the win after allowing three runs, one earned, on six hits in seven innings, fanning two batters. UWF’s Emily Burge suffered the loss despite striking out 13 Cotton Blossoms hitters.

   Due to tournament rules; despite the game being played at UWF’s home park, the Argonauts were actually the visiting team during the second game of the doubleheader.

   In the nightcap, UAM jumped ahead in the second inning as Brady hit a solo homer to give the Cotton Blossoms a 1-0 lead. Meredith Heckel (Jr., Hot Springs) came through two innings later to give UAM a 2-0 lead, and the Cotton Blossoms pushed their lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning as Gemma Gibson (Jr., Dodd City, Texas) scored on an error.

   The Argonauts would not go quietly, however, pulling to within 3-2 and putting the tying run on third base with two outs in the top of the seventh, but Whitney Gay flew out to center to end the UWF threat and seal the UAM doubleheader sweep.

   Alison North (Fr., Marion, La.) picked up the win after allowing two runs on seven hits in seven innings, improving to 7-2 on the season. UWF’s two-run seventh inning snapped a streak of 19 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings for the freshman.

   The Cotton Blossoms returned to action Friday, March 16, at the Delta State University Classic, where they played both Benedict and Stillman. The Blossoms’ games Friday were at noon and 4 p.m., while Saturday’s games were played at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

BLOSSOMS SWEEP ON DAY THREE OF UWF SPRING FLING

   PENSACOLA, FLA. (March 13) - Solid pitching by Alison North (Fr., Marion, La.) and Leah Vaughn (Jr., Crestview, Fla.) pushed the University of Arkansas at Monticello's Cotton Blossoms (19-10) to a sweep on day three of the University of West Florida's Spring Fling, as they topped William Woods University 1-0 in the opener before topping Myers University 5-3 in the day’s finale.

   In the opener against William Woods, North fired a six-hit shutout, her second consecutive shutout, to improve to 6-2 on the season. North fanned one and did not walk a batter.

   The Cotton Blossoms picked up all the offense they would need in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Jenny Dunn (Jr., Adelaide, Australia) led off with a triple and was immediately driven home by a sacrifice fly by Kayla Temple (Fr., West Monroe, La.). North shut down the Owls in the bottom of the inning to seal the 1-0 UAM victory.

   In the nightcap, the Blossoms jumped ahead in the second inning, as Lauren Brooks (Jr., West Monroe, La.) scored on a wild pitch. UAM pushed their lead to 2-0 after an RBI single by Dunn.

   Two innings later, Dunn came through once again for the Blossoms, smacking a two-run single to give UAM a 4-0 lead. Myers cut the UAM lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the inning, but the Blossoms tallied another run in the sixth inning as Meredith Heckel (Jr., Hot Springs) scored on an error to give UAM a 5-2 lead.

   Myers threatened in the bottom of the seventh, scoring a run to pull to within 5-3 and bringing the go-ahead run to the plate; but the Vaughn settled down, striking out the last two batters she faced to seal the UAM victory.

   Dunn and Brooks both had two hits in the victory, while Kim Gibson (Fr., Dodd City, Texas) was a perfect 3-for-3 in the victory. Vaughn improved to 4-4 on the season after allowing three runs on five hits, fanning seven in seven innings.

   The Cotton Blossoms wrapped up their Florida trip with a doubleheader against host West Florida Wednesday. First pitch was scheduled for 1 p.m.

 BLOSSOMS SPLIT ON DAY TWO OF UWF SPRING FLING

   PENSACOLA, FLA.  (March 12) - The University of Arkansas at Monticello's Cotton Blossoms earned a second-day split at the University of West Florida's Spring Fling, topping Central Methodist 8-2 in the opening game before dropping a 1-0, extra-inning decision to Shorter College in the nightcap.

   In the opening contest, the Blossoms jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning as Sarah Reed (Sr., McKinney, Texas) scored on an error. Central Methodist tied the game in the bottom of the second inning on a sacrifice bunt, before the Blossoms pulled ahead in the third inning on an RBI double by Meredith Heckel (Jr., Hot Springs), and Jenny Dunn (Jr., Adelaide, Australia) gave the Cotton Blossoms an insurance run with a sacrifice fly.

   Central Methodist pulled to within 3-2 in the bottom of the third with an RBI single by Katie Dove, but the Cotton Blossoms would respond in the top of the sixth inning as Kayla Temple (Fr., West Monroe, La.) led off with a solo homer to push UAM’s lead to 4-2.

   The Blossoms tallied two more runs on Heckel’s second RBI double of the day, and Lauren Brooks (Jr., West Monroe, La.) later scored on a wild pitch to extend UAM’s lead to 8-2, and the Blossoms held on for the victory.

   Leah Vaughn (Jr., Crestview, Fla.) picked up the win for the Blossoms after allowing two runs on five hits in seven innings, fanning six and walking three. Heckel, Reed and Gemma Gibson (Jr., Dodd City, Texas) all had two hits in the win.

   In the finale, UAM’s Kate Brady (Jr., Longview, Texas) dueled with Shorter College’s Missy Duke as both teams were scoreless over the opening seven innings of the contest. The international tiebreaker rule was brought into effect in the eighth inning, and on the first play in the bottom of the inning, Shorter’s Lindsey Byers attempted to sacrifice Kandi Bruno to third base; but a fielding error by the Cotton Blossoms allowed Bruno to score the winning run, and Shorter picked up the victory to improve to 19-1 on the season.

   Brady suffered the loss after allowing one unearned run on three hits, fanning four while walking none. Duke picked up the win after surrendering seven hits but fanning 12 Cotton Blossoms hitters.

   UAM returned to action Tuesday, facing William Woods University and Myers College on day three of the UWF Spring Fling. The Blossoms’ first game Tuesday began at 1 p.m.

 BLOSSOMS SWEEP ON OPENING DAY OF UWF SPRING FLING

   PENSACOLA, FLA. (March 11) - Keyed offensively by a 6-for-7, two-home run day by reigning Gulf South Conference-West Division Player of the Week Jenny Dunn (Jr., Adelaide, Australia), the University of Arkansas at Monticello's Cotton Blossoms (16-9) swept on the opening day of the University of West Florida's Spring Fling, topping Ohio Dominican 11-3, and then topping Central Methodist 8-0.

   In the opening contest, the Ohio Dominican got on the board first as Gina Schneider hit an RBI single, giving the Panthers an early 1-0 lead. UAM responded in the bottom of the third inning, tying the game as Lauren Brooks (Jr., West Monroe, La.) scored on an error. The Blossoms pulled ahead as Dunn hit an RBI single, and Kate Brady (Jr., Longview, Texas) followed immediately with an RBI single to give UAM a 3-1 lead.

   Brady later scored on a wild pitch to extend the UAM lead to 4-1, and then Gemma Gibson (Jr., Dodd City, Texas) stole home to push the UAM lead to 5-1. Kim Gibson (Fr., Dodd City, Texas) tacked on an RBI single to give UAM a 6-1 advantage after the third inning.

   In the fourth inning, Reed swatted a two-run homer to extend the UAM lead to 8-1, and Terri Rodgers (Sr., Enterprise, Ala.) added an RBI single to give the Blossoms a 9-1 lead.

   Reed’s homer tied the UAM single-season team record of 40, set originally in 2000 and tied in 2003.

   Ohio Dominican staged a brief rally in the top of the fifth inning, as Schneider hit her second RBI single of the contest, and Jamie Leffler added another RBI single to pull ODU to within 9-3; but UAM responded in the bottom of the inning as Dunn hit an RBI triple to score Reed, pushing the UAM lead to 10-3, and then Brady added her second RBI single of the game to invoke the eight-run mercy rule and give the Blossoms the victory.

   Brady picked up the win to improve to 7-3 on the season after going five innings, allowing eight hits and three runs, all earned. Dunn was a perfect 4-for-4 in the opening contest, while Meredith Heckel (Jr., Hot Springs), Brady and Kayla Temple (Fr., West Monroe, La.) all picked up two hits in the winning effort.

   In the day’s finale, UAM picked up an 8-0 shutout win behind the solid pitching of Alison North (Fr., Marion, La.), who fired a two-hit shutout, striking out nine and walking none.

   UAM got on the board in the top of the first inning as Reed hit an RBI single, putting the Blossoms ahead 1-0. UAM would hold the 1-0 lead until the fourth inning, when Brooks and Heckel both hit RBI doubles to extend UAM’s lead to 3-0.

   The Cotton Blossoms continued their impressive power display in the fifth inning as both Dunn and Temple hit solo homers to extend the UAM lead to 5-0, and the Blossoms closed out their scoring in the sixth inning, as Reed added an RBI double and Dunn tacked on her second homer of the day, a two-run shot that set the Blossoms lead at 8-0.

   Central Methodist went down in order in the bottom of the sixth, invoking the eight-run mercy rule and giving UAM the win.

   The Blossoms returned to action Monday, March 12, as they faced off against Central Methodist and Shorter College on day two of the UWF Spring Fling.

 BLOSSOMS SPLIT WITH LADY STATESMEN

   CLEVELAND, MISS. (March 6) - The University of Arkansas at Monticello's Cotton Blossoms (14-9, 4-2 GSC) split a doubleheader with the Delta State University Lady Statesmen, powering to a 10-2 victory in the opening contest before falling 9-6 in the finale on Tuesday at University Field.

   In the opening contest, the Blossoms got onto the board in the third inning as Jenny Dunn (Jr., Adelaide, Australia) hit an RBI grounder to give UAM an early 1-0 lead. Delta State immediately responded in the bottom of the frame, as Courtney Clark smashed an RBI single up the middle to tie the game at 1-1.

   The Blossoms accomplished a program first in the top of the fourth inning, as Gemma Gibson (Jr., Dodd City, Texas), Terri Rodgers (Sr., Enterprise, Ala.) and Meredith Heckel (Jr., Hot Springs) smashed back-to-back-to-back homers, giving UAM a 4-1 lead.

   UAM tacked on three more runs in the top of the fifth, as Dunn scored on a passed ball, and both Rodgers and Heckel tacked on RBI singles to extend the UAM lead to 7-1.

   DSU pulled to within 7-2 in the bottom of the fifth, but UAM responded with a Dunn solo homer in the sixth and an RBI double by Becca Tipton (Fr., Dermott) in the seventh. Tipton would later score on a wild pitch to push the final margin to 10-2.

 

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