Blossoms Still Winless With Two Losses at Delta State Classic
February 16, 2008

TUNICA, Miss. – The University of Arkansas at Monticello softball team is still winless after losing a pair of games on Saturday in the Delta State Classic, first to No. 1 Southern Illinois-Edwardsville (8-0), then losing to Indianapolis in extra innings (13-10).
 
The first task for the Cotton Blossoms after going winless last weekend in Florida was to upset the 2007 NCAA Division II national champions and currently ranked No. 1 SIU-Edwardsville in their season opener.
 
SIU-Edwardsville 8, UAM 0
The Lady Cougars sent to the pitching rubber their junior all-america pitcher Kaitlin Colosimo, who helped lead the team to the national title. Colosimo shut down the Blossoms, only allowing one hit in her complete game win.
 
That one UAM hit came in the top of the fifth inning off the bat of senior Jenny Dunn (Adelaide, Australia), who lined a double to right-center field. However, Dunn was left stranded by a groundout to third base from starting pitcher Kate Brady (Longview, Texas).
 
Brady recorded the loss after pitching the full game for the Blossoms, allowing eight runs, all earned, off 11 hits, while striking out four of the 31 batters she faced.
 
Indianapolis 13, UAM 10 (Eight Innings)
The Blossom bats awoke in the second game of the day, but in a losing effort as Indianapolis scored six runs in the top of the extra frame, only being answered by three UAM runs in the bottom of the inning.
 
Both teams scored one run in the first inning. UAM’s senior pre-season All-GSC selection Meredith Heckel (Hot Springs, Ark.) started the game strong, smashing her second first inning lead-off homerun of the season. That homerun was one of three Heckel hit in the game. Her other round-trippers came in the third and eighth innings.
 
Heckel started the UAM scoring in the bottom of the third inning for the Blossoms. After junior catcher Amy Mardis (Burnet, Texas) struck out swinging to lead off the inning, Heckel blasted her second homerun of the day, this time, giving the Blossoms a 2-1 lead. That lead extended three batters later when Dunn hit an RBI-single that scored junior short-stop Lindsey Randall (Keithville, La.), who reached base on a walk.
 
UAM struck again in the bottom of the fourth inning when Brady lined an RBI-double to left field that plated senior center fielder Gemma Gibson (Dodd City, Texas), who led the inning off with an infield single. Brady was later scored on an RBI-single from Randall to give the Blossoms a 5-1 lead.
 
Indianpolis then used one of its two six-run innings to gain the lead over UAM in the top of the fifth inning. UAM only answered with one run in the bottom of the frame with a homerun from junior starting pitcher Becca Sustaire (Hallsville, Texas).
 
Brady scored in the bottom of the sixth inning off an RBI-sacrifice fly from Randall. Brady’s run was un-earned because she reached on a throwing error.
 
The game was forced to extra innings when neither team scored in the seventh inning. Indianapolis plated six runs in the top of the eighth with the help of two two-run homeruns. UAM answered with back-to-back homeruns from Heckel and Randall, but fell short when Dunn struck out to end the game with a runner on second.
 
Heckel finished the game a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with a final count of four RBI. Also a perfect 3-for-3 was Randall, who racked up three RBI.
 
ON DECK
With the losses, the Blossoms are 0-8 overall this season and look for their first win today (Feb. 16) when they continue play in the Delta State Classic. The team’s first game starts at noon against Lewis with the second game starting at 4 p.m. against Southern Indiana.