MONTICELLO – The University of Arkansas at Monticello softball team split with Southern Arkansas on Saturday in Gulf South Conference action with an 11-0 win in the first game and a 5-6 loss in 10 innings in the second game.
 
In Saturday’s 11-0 win, UAM (26-5, 7-1 GSC-West) used a seven-run third inning to capture its 10th run-rule victory of the season. Prior to the big third inning, freshman Faith Lund started the scoring with a solo homerun to right center to lead off the bottom of the second.
 
In the third, junior Sarah Hayslip started the scoring in the frame with a two-run homerun to right field. Lund followed with a single through the left side of the infield and later scored on wild pitch. Later in the inning, senior Emilie Hobbs drew a bases loaded walk to plate UAM’s fourth-run of the inning before sophomore Jennifer Hickman delivered a three-RBI double down the left field line.
 
The Cotton Blossoms added three more runs in the bottom of the fourth, highlighted by a two-run homerun by Lund, her second round-tripper of the game and team-high 11th of the season. Junior Kendra White smashed an RBI-single later in the inning to give UAM its final 11-0 advantage.
 
Sophomore Kayla Jackson (14-2) recorded her 15th complete-game of the season and sixth shutout after allowing only two hits, while striking out three and only walking one in her five innings of work.
 
In the second game, the Lady Muleriders (7-16, 3-5 GSC-West) ended UAM’s 19-game winning streak with six runs off only six hits.
 
SAU plated its first run of the series on an RBI-double by Denise Amador in the first, but the Cotton Blossoms answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning off two SAU errors.
 
SAU answered in the third with three runs, highlighted by a two-run homerun by pitcher Julie Essary.
 
In the bottom of the fifth, UAM cut the SAU lead to 4-3 on an RBI-double by Jackson to score Hickman, who singled earlier in the inning. Then in the seventh, UAM tied the game when SAU right fielder Jennifer Dyke mishandled a base hit by senior Becca Tipton, allowing Hobbs to score from first.
 
Neither team scored over the next two innings to force the implementation of the international tiebreaker rule in the 10th. SAU scored two runs in the top of the inning off a sacrifice fly out by Essary and an error by UAM’s Hickman.
 
UAM answered with only one run in the bottom of the inning, when Hayslip was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Sophomore Meagan Wilson popped up to first base with the bases loaded to end the game.
 
Sophomore Randa Perry (1-2) was credited with the loss after allowing two unearned runs off only one hit with a pair of strikeouts and walks in her seven innings of relief.
 
With the loss in the second game, UAM’s record winning streak comes to an end at 19. The Cotton Blossoms have won 24 of their last 26 games and are ranked first in the GSC-West after two weekends of GSC games.