Blossoms Stomp the Lady Bucs

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   MEMPHIS, TENN.  (March 25) - The University of Arkansas at Monticello's Cotton Blossoms (29-12, 8-4 GSC) picked up a doubleheader sweep over the Christian Brothers Lady Buccaneers, winning the opening game 10-2 and picking up an 8-0 victory in the finale.

   In the opener, the Cotton Blossoms broke through in the top of the first as Kate Brady (Jr., Longview, Texas) laced a two-run double to right; followed immediately by an RBI single by Lauren Brooks (Jr., West Monroe, La.) that gave UAM a 3-0 lead after the first inning. Brady added a two-run single in the second to push UAM’s lead to 5-0.

   UAM continued their scoring onslaught in the top of the fourth inning as Becca Tipton (Fr., Dermott) belted a two-run homer to extend the Blossoms’ lead to 7-0, and UAM would push their lead to 9-0 in the fifth on RBI singles by Tipton and Terri Rodgers (Sr., Enterprise, Ala.).

   CBU broke through in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single by Lauren Zavelli and narrowed the gap to 9-2 as Nikki Dunn scored on a wild pitch, but the Cotton Blossoms responded in the top of the seventh with an RBI double by Sarah Reed (Sr., McKinney, Texas) to take a 10-2 lead and seal the victory.

   Brady picked up the victory to improve to 11-6 on the season after allowing two runs, one earned, on seven hits in seven innings, fanning four. Tipton was three-for-five in the win, while Reed, Dunn, Brady, Brooks and Meredith Heckel (Jr., Hot Springs) all picked up two hits.

   In the finale, the Cotton Blossoms once again broke through in the first inning, taking an early 2-0 lead after a two-run homer by Reed. The Blossoms continued in the second inning, as Rodgers drew a bases-loaded walk, and then Reed hit a sacrifice fly to push the UAM lead to 4-0.

   Rodgers later scored on a fielding error to extend the UAM lead to 5-0 after two.

   Joleah Oxner (Sr., Monticello) hit an RBI grounder in the third inning to give the Blossoms a 6-0 lead, and Rodgers followed with a two-run homer to give UAM an 8-0 lead and seal the UAM victory.

   Alison North (Fr., Marion, La.) and K.K. Calloway (Jr., West Monroe, La.) combined to throw a one-hit shutout for UAM. North picked up the win after allowing one hit in four innings, fanning one batter. Brooks and Gemma Gibson (Jr., Dodd City, Texas) picked up two hits for UAM in the win.

   The softball doubleheader between the University of Arkansas at Monticello's Cotton Blossoms and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff's Lady Lions originally scheduled for Tuesday, March 27 at Blossoms Field has been rescheduled for 1 p.m., Monday, April 2 at Blossoms Field on the UAM campus.

   The date replaces a previously scheduled doubleheader at UAPB that will not be rescheduled.

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