Blossoms Take Three at Home

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   The Cotton Blossom softball team added three home victories to its record. The Blossoms defeated Mississippi Valley State University last week 7-0 and swept University of Arkansas Pine Bluff in a doubleheader Monday, 3-0 and 2-1.

   Against Mississippi Valley, the Cotton Blossoms took three innings to gain momentum offensively. Mississippi Valley changed pitchers and the Cotton Blossoms changed attitudes.

   Terri Rodgers (Sr., Enterprise, Ala.) led off the inning with a walk. Junior Hot Springs’ native Meredith Heckel followed with a base hit, but Rodgers was put out on the play. Heckel advanced to second on a hit ball by Sarah Reed (Sr., McKinney, Texas). With two outs, freshman of Dermott Becca Tipton hit a pitch to center field, and Heckel ran over the catcher to score the inning's only run.

   In the fifth, the Cotton Blossoms came through with six runs and batted around the line-up in the process. Kate Brady (Jr., Longview, Texas) picked up the win in the game, and Alison North (Fr., Marion, La.) picked up the save in the 7-0 decision.

   In Monday’s action, the UAPB team arrived an hour late; thinking that the games were set to begin at 3 p.m., instead of the scheduled 1 p.m. start time. 

   The Cotton Blossoms began the first of two games by immediately retiring the UAPB Golden Lions by ways of a ground out, a strike out and catching a player stealing.

   Heckel led off for the Cotton Blossoms with a solo blast to centerfield giving the team a 1-0 lead.

   In the third, Heckel blasted another homer to left field. Brady unloaded a homerun in the fourth boosting the Cotton Blossoms up 3-0 and giving them the win. Brady picked up the win while striking out six, and North gained the save.

   In the first inning of the second game, Heckel doubled and later scored when Tipton hit a single.  In the third inning, Heckel singled and Tipton came behind with a double to score Heckel again, giving the Cotton Blossoms an early 2-0 lead.

   In the fourth inning, a UAPB player singled and the team followed it up with a sacrifice bunt. With a runner on second, Jackee Hebert of UAPB hit a double to score the runner. That’s all they would get as the Cotton Blossoms turned in the win 2-1. Leah Vaughn (Jr., Crestview, Fla.) received the win as Kimberly Calloway (Jr., West Monroe, La.) picked up a save.

   The Cotton Blossoms (32-12, 8-4) are currently second in the conference behind rival Delta State, but its overall record of 32-12, is second best in both sides of the conference coming second to Valdosta State, which is 31-3 overall.

   The Cotton Blossoms returned to action Thursday as they traveled to Arkadelphia and took on Henderson State in a doubleheader that began at 1 p.m. They returned home Saturday to play Henderson State in another doubleheader that also began at 1 p.m.

 

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