CLEVELAND, MS --- The University of Arkansas at Monticello Cotton Blossoms (16-16) were swept by the Delta State University Lady Statesmen, losing 9-3 and 5-3 on Saturday and 4-0 and 5-0 on Sunday.

The Blossoms took an early lead in the first inning as Meredith Heckel (So., Hot Springs, Ark.) hit a solo homer in the top of the first inning; and the Blossoms extended their lead to 2-0 after a Gina Traylor (Jr., Conroe, Texas) RBI single in the second inning.

DSU claimed the lead in the third inning on a two-run double by Meredith Coleman, and the Lady Statesmen would extend their lead to 8-2 after the fourth inning.

DSU pulled ahead 9-2 in the sixth inning after a Coleman homer, and the Blossoms were able to pull to within 9-3 on a Terri Rodgers (Jr., Enterprise, Ala.) RBI single, but the deficit was too much to overcome.

Jodie Scott (Sr., Benton, Ark.) had two hits in the loss. Ashley Burkett (Sr., West Monroe, La.) suffered the loss after allowing six runs, five earned, in 3 2/3 innings pitched.

In Friday’s nightcap, the Blossoms once again scored first, breaking through in the top of the third inning on an RBI grounder by Kate Brady (So., Longview, Texas), but the Lady Statesmen took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the frame.

DSU extended their lead to 5-1 with a three-run fourth inning.

The Blossoms fought back in the fifth, as Scott doubled home Sarah Reed (Jr., McKinney, Texas) to pull UAM to within 5-2, and the Blossoms added another run as Scott scored on a wild pitch. However, the Blossoms were unable to muster any offense in the sixth and seventh and the Lady Statesmen held on for the win.

Leah Vaughn (So., Crestview, Fla.) took the loss after giving up five runs in three innings. Reed added two hits in the loss.

UAM’s bats fell silent in Sunday’s games, as DSU’s Sam St. Hilaire opened the day with a two-hit shutout. Kelli Little (So., West Monroe, La.) took the loss after allowing four runs, two earned in six innings.

The nightcap went no better for the Blossoms, as DSU’s Britni Adcox stymied the Blossoms with a five-hit gem of her own.

Burkett suffered the loss after allowing three runs in the first inning.

The Blossoms return to action on Friday, hosting Central Arkansas at 1 PM at Blossoms Field.
 

In the tournament opener against Oakland City, the Blossoms opened scoring in the bottom of the first inning with an RBI single by Meredith Heckel (So., Hot Springs, Ark.). Kate Brady (So., Longview, Texas) and Lauren Brooks (So., West Monroe, La.) both added RBI doubles to give the Blossoms a 4-0 lead after the first.

UAM added runs in the second and third before Oakland City scored their lone run on an error in the fourth inning. The Blossoms added an insurance run in the fifth to take the 7-1 lead, and the Blossoms cruised to the victory.

Starter Ashley Burkett (Sr., West Monroe, La.) shut down OCU, improving to 7-5 on the season after allowing six hits and one unearned run while fanning five in seven innings.

Brooks was a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBI, smacking two doubles in the winning effort. Jenny Dunn (So., Adelaide, Australia), Sarah Reed (Jr., McKinney, Texas), and Reed all added two hits in the win.

In Monday’s finale, despite a stellar performance by Leah Vaughn (So., Crestview, Fla.), the Blossoms fell 1-0 to the West Florida Argonauts.

Vaughn scattered three hits in five innings, fanning five and allowing the only run of the game in the first inning.

The Blossoms played a single game Tuesday, winning a 5-4 nail biter over Grand View College. Grand View struck first in the fifth inning, but the Blossoms responded by taking the lead on a two-run single by Reed in the bottom of the inning. UAM added another run before the inning was over to take a 3-1 lead.

Grand View responded in the top of the sixth with a three-run inning to reclaim the lead, and held the Blossoms scoreless in the bottom of the frame.

With UAM trailing 5-4 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Dunn smacked a game winning two-out, two-run double to right field.

In Wednesday’s opener, Savannah College of Art & Design chased Vaughn after just 2/3 of an inning and four runs.

K.K. Calloway (So., West Monroe, La.) entered the game with two outs in the top of the first and was greeted immediately by SCAD’s Andrea Helenthal, who belted a three-run homer to right to give the Bees a 5-0 lead. However, Calloway was solid down the stretch, allowing just five hits and one run in 6 1/3 innings, fanning four.

UAM cut into the Bees’ lead in the fourth inning, as Heckel led off with a solo homer. The Blossoms added two more runs in the inning to cut the SCAD lead to 5-3.

The Blossoms were able to pull to within one in the bottom of the seventh inning on a passed ball, but the Blossoms were unable to tie the ballgame as the Bees picked up a 5-4 win.

Another solid pitching effort by Burkett gave the Blossoms a win in the tournament finale, as the senior threw a five-hit shutout, fanning two.

The two teams traded scoreless innings until the bottom of the sixth inning, when Gemma Gibson (So., Dodd City, Texas) and Carley Burkett (Sr., West Monroe, La.) both smacked two-run doubles to give the Blossoms all the offense they would need in the finale.

Burkett was a perfect 3-for-3 with two RBI, while Gibson, Jodie Scott (Sr., Benton, Ark.) and Gina Traylor (Jr., Conroe, Texas) picked up two hits apiece in the win.

The Blossoms return to action on Friday, as they travel to Cleveland, Mississippi to face second-place Delta State University in a four-game series. First pitch on Friday is set for 6 p.m. with Saturday’s games beginning at noon.
 

HUNTSVILLE, AL --- The University of Arkansas at Monticello Cotton Blossoms (13-12) won two games at the University of Alabama in Huntsville’s St. Patrick’s Day Good Luck Bash, topping Albany State twice and dropping a pair to Alabama-Huntsville, and another game to Nova Southeastern.

The Blossoms dropped their first two games, losing 9-0 to Nova Southeastern and Alabama-Huntsville before finishing the day with a 12-4 win over Albany State; and fell 10-2 to UAH in the second day’s opener, closing the tournament with a 8-2 win over Albany State.

Nova held UAM to just one hit in the opener, and chased starter Ashley Burkett (Sr., West Monroe, La.) after just 1 2/3 innings, scoring five runs.

Kelli Little (So., West Monroe, La.) struggled in the day’s second game, exiting after 2 2/3 innings after allowing four runs on six hits. Alabama-Huntsville held the Blossoms to five hits, two apiece by Sarah Reed (Jr., McKinney, Texas) and Jodie Scott (Sr., Benton, Ark.).

The Blossoms’ offense erupted in the first inning, as UAM tagged Albany State for ten first-inning runs en route to a 12-4 victory.

Leah Vaughn (So., Crestview, Fla.) picked up the win after allowing seven hits and four unearned runs in five innings. Reed, Scott, Meredith Heckel (So., Hot Springs, Ark.) and Gemma Gibson (So., Dodd City, Texas) all picked up two hits in the victory in the day one finale.

On day two, the Blossoms were set for a rematch with UAH, and the Blossoms’ struggles continued as the Chargers handed Kate Brady (So., Longview, Texas) her first loss of the season after giving up ten runs in four innings.

The Blossoms ended the tournament on a winning note as Vaughn picked up her second win of the tournament, shutting down Albany State once again.

After the Rams took a 1-0 lead after the second inning, UAM took the lead as Lauren Brooks (So., West Monroe, La.) and Joleah Oxner (Jr., Monticello, Ark.) scored on an error, and the Blossoms never trailed again. 

Reed and Jenny Dunn (So., Adelaide, Australia) both had two hits in the victory.

The Blossoms return to action at this week’s Blue/Green Invitational hosted by the University of West Florida.
 

CBU took a 1-0 lead in the second inning, but the Blossoms tied the game in the fourth on a solo homer by Meredith Heckel (So., Hot Springs, Ark.) and took a 2-1 lead as Terri Rodgers (Jr., Enterprise, Ala.) scored on a fielding error.

Burkett held the Lady Bucs scoreless the rest of the way to pick up her fourth win of the season.

In the day’s finale, the Blossoms won a ten-inning thriller after falling behind 2-0 in the second inning. UAM pulled to within 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning on a fielding error, and tied the game in the seventh on a two-out RBI double by Lauren Brooks (So., West Monroe, La.).

The Lady Bucs scored two runs in the top of the tenth inning, but UAM responded in turn, tying the game after a single by Rachael Blakley (Jr., Bryant, Ark.) and scoring the winning run after an RBI single by Gemma Gibson (So., Dodd City, Texas).

Brooks went 4-for-5 with two RBI in the game, while Jodie Scott (Sr., Benton, Ark.) added three hits and Jenny Dunn (So., Adelaide, Australia) added two.

Kate Brady (So., Longview, Texas) tossed eight solid innings of relief, allowing two runs, one earned on just four hits. Kelli Little (So., West Monroe, La.) picked up her second win of the season after coming in with one away in the tenth.

The Blossoms scored early and often in Sunday’s opener, opening scoring with a three-run homer by Scott to take a 3-0 lead after one. UAM extended their lead to 5-0 after the third inning, and added a seven-run fourth inning, ultimately resulting in a run-rule victory in the fifth inning.

Sarah Reed (Jr., McKinney, Texas) was a perfect 3-for-3 in the win. Gina Traylor (Jr., Conroe, Texas), Brooks, and Gibson all picked up two hits apiece in the victory.

Burkett picked up her second win of the series after scattering six hits over 4.2 innings, allowing two runs.

In the series finale, Little tossed a four-hit shutout to pick up the victory. Heckel opened scoring in the bottom of the first with a solo shot, and the Blossoms added a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth to seal the win.

The Blossoms’ next series with Arkansas Tech, originally scheduled for Monday and Tuesday has been postponed. It is not known whether Tuesday’s games will be played as scheduled.
 

MONTICELLO --- The University of Arkansas at Monticello Cotton Blossoms softball team (7-9) were swept by the West Georgia Braves, falling 8-3 in the opener and dropping a 3-2 heartbreaker in the finale.

In the opener, the Braves chased starter Ashley Burkett (Sr., West Monroe, La.) after just 1.2 innings, six hits, and six unearned runs.

UAM pulled to within 6-1 after a leadoff homer by Jodie Scott (Sr., Benton, Ark.) in the fourth inning, but West Georgia added two more runs in the sixth inning to pull their lead to 8-1. The Blossoms responded with a pair in the bottom of the sixth with a two-run blast by Kate Brady (So., Longview, Texas) but the deficit was too much for UAM to overcome.

In the finale, the Braves opened scoring with a three-run fourth inning. The Blossoms fought back in the bottom of the fifth, scoring a run on a bases-loaded walk to Joleah Oxner (Jr., Monticello, Ark.) and pulled to 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh on a Lauren Brooks (So., West Monroe, La.) RBI single, but the Blossoms were unable to plate the tying run.

Leah Vaughn (So., Crestview, Fla.) suffered the loss after scattering six hits over 4.1 innings, allowing three earned runs. Kelli Little (So., West Monroe, La.) tossed 2.2 innings of no-hit relief.

The Blossoms return to action on Friday, March 10, hosting Christian Brothers University in a doubleheader. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.