Blossoms Lose to Mississippi Valley State For First Time in Series History
February 19, 2008

ITTA BENA, Miss. – For the first time in school history, the University of Arkansas at Monticello Cotton Blossoms softball team lost to Mississippi Valley State with a 10-4 outcome Tuesday afternoon.
 
UAM opened the scoring with a three-run top of the third inning. Senior outfielder Jenny Dunn (Adelaide, Australia) hit an RBI-single to score senior first baseman Meredith Heckel (Hot Springs, Ark), who led off the inning with a single.
 
Senior Gemma Gibson (Dodd City, Texas) followed Dunn with a two-RBI single that plated sophomore outfielder Becca Tipton (Dermott, Ark.) and junior starting pitcher Becca Sustaire (Hallsville, Texas), who both reached on singles.
 
UAM struck again in the top of the sixth inning when Heckel smashed an RBI-double to right field that scored junior catcher Amy Mardis (Burnet, Texas), who singled to center field one at-bat earlier.
 
The Lady Devils used a five-run sixth inning, which included three consecutive RBI singles, to gain its final six-run advantage.
 
Recording the loss for the Blossoms was senior K.K. Calloway (West Monroe, La.), who failed to record an out after giving up four runs (three earned) off four hits.
 
Candy Shumpert led the Lady Devils, going a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with two RBI.
 
The loss snaps a 14-game win streak for the Blossoms against Mississippi Valley State since the beginning of the program. UAM drops to 1-10 overall this season.
 
The next action for the Blossoms is this weekend (Feb. 23-24) when the team travels to Bentonville for two double-headers against Missouri Southern. The games start at 1 p.m. on Saturday and 12 p.m. on Sunday.