GSC TOURNAMENT RECAP: Blossoms Lose to UAH in first round / Beat Henderson State in first round of loser's bracket / Season Ends With Loss to Valdosta State
May 3, 2008

ONE BAD INNING ENDS SEASON FOR BLOSSOMS / BEAT BY VALDOSTA STATE 3-0

 

SOUTHAVEN, Miss. – The Valdosta State Lady Blazers scored three runs in the top of the fourth inning that ultimately led to a season-ending loss for the University of Arkansas at Monticello softball team with a final score of 3-0.

 

The game was the last collegiate contest for six UAM seniors. Kate Brady, Lauren Brooks, K.K. Calloway, Jenny Dunn, Gemma Gibson and Meredith Heckel are the six seniors to bid farewell to the UAM program after the loss. All six earned four letters at UAM.

 

Combined between the six players over four years is seven selections to the All-GSC First Team, four selections to the All-GSC second team, one GSC West Player of the Year, three All-South Region selections, 10 All-Academic selections and two NFCA All-America selections.

 

In the game, the Lady Blazers scored their only runs in the top of the fourth inning off three straight extra base hits.

 

The first run came from an RBI-single from Kristina Ely, which was followed a single up the middle by Shannon Cleland, who advanced to second on a throw to home plate. Amy Brightwell followed with an two-RBI double that forced the UAM starting pitcher, Becca Sustaire (Hallsville, Texas), out of the game.

 

Relieving Sustaire was senior Kate Brady (Longview, Texas) who retired the next three batters to end the inning. Brady almost threw a perfect four innings to finish the game, not giving up a hit and only walking one batter.

 

Sustaire was saddled with the loss, moving to 0-1 in postseason and 9-17 overall. Sustaire allowed three runs off six hits in three full innings of work.

 

The Blossoms tallied four hits in the ball game, coming from Heckel, Brooks, junior Amy Mardis (Burnet, Texas) and junior Heather Greer (Hollandale, Miss.), all having just one hit in the game.

 

The Blossoms end their season with an overall record of 23-31, while Valdosta State advanced in the loser’s bracket to face the loser of tonight’s winner’s bracket game between Arkansas Tech and Alabama-Huntsville.

 

BRADY LEADS BLOSSOMS OVER HENDERSON STATE TO ADVANCE IN GSC TOURNAMENT

 

SOUTHAVEN, Miss. – Senior starting pitcher Kate Brady hit a two-RBI double and only allowed two runs in a 3-2 victory over Henderson State in the loser’s bracket first round of the Gulf South Conference Championship Tournament.

 

The win advances UAM to face the loser of the winner’s bracket game between Arkansas Tech and Valdosta State at 5:30 p.m. today (May 3) at the Greenbrook Softball Complex in Southaven.

 

In the win, Henderson State scored the first run of the game in the top of the fifth with a solo-home run from Dea Bates, followed by an RBI-double from Miracle Thurston in the sixth to give HSU a 2-0 advantage.

 

The Blossoms kept their season alive with back-to-back singles from junior Lindsey Randall (Keithville, La.) and sophomore Becca Tipton (Dermott, Ark.) to start the inning, followed by an RBI-single from senior Gemma Gibson (Dodd City, Texas) two batters later.


Brady (Longview, Texas) followed with two-RBI double to the right center field gap that plated both Tipton and Gibson. That double, ultimately, won the game for the Blossoms as Brady retired three of the first four HSU batters in the top of the seventh.

 

Brady improves her season record to 14-11 and 1-1 in postseason play after recording the complete game win, while UAM improves to 23-30 overall.

 

BLOSSOMS FALL TO #1 ALABAMA-HUNTSVILLE IN DELAYED GAME

 

SOUTHAVEN, Miss. – The University of Arkansas at Monticello softball team opened up play in the 2008 Gulf South Conference Championship Tournament with a loss to top ranked Alabama-Huntsville with a final score of 9-2.

 

The game was originally scheduled to be played Friday, May 2, but severe weather in the greater Memphis area forced the suspension of play around 1:30 p.m. and was not resumed on Friday.

 

This morning, UAM and UAH completed the game in less than 30 minutes, resulting in the loss for the Blossoms, forcing the team into the loser’s bracket to face the loser of the game between Henderson State and West Florida.

 

In the loss, the Blossoms jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead over the Lady Chargers with an RBI-double from sophomore Becca Tipton (Dermott, Ark.) in the top of the first, followed by an RBI-single from senior Gemma Gibson (Dodd City, Texas) in the top of the third.

 

The Lady Chargers used two three-run innings in the third and fourth innings to gain a lead too large for the Blossoms to overcome. UAH scored three more runs in the sixth inning when play resumed on Saturday.

 

Senior Kate Brady (Longview, Texas) was saddled with the loss after throwing five innings on Friday, while allowing six runs off nine hits.