MONTICELLO – The University of Arkansas at Monticello softball team finally began its 2010 season by splitting a home double-header with Southern Arkansas on Wednesday, losing the first game 6-5 in an extra inning and earning a 5-4 victory in the second game.
 
In the 6-5 loss, sophomore Jennifer Hickman was the team’s offensive leader, going 2-for-3 with three runs batted in, including a two-run homerun in the bottom of the seventh inning to send the game into an extra frame. Sophomore Katie Bowman led the team in hits after going 3-for-4 at the plate with one RBI.
 
In the eighth inning, the UAM defense committed three errors, including an error by Hickman that allowed the go-ahead run to score, which turned out to be the final run of the game after UAM (1-1) failed to score in the bottom half of the inning.
 
SAU’s Julie Essary (1-1) earned the win after going the distance for the Lady Muleriders (1-3), allowing five runs off nine hits with seven strikeouts and three walks in her eight innings of work. Sophomore Kayla Jackson (0-1) was saddled with the loss after also throwing a complete game, allowing six runs off six hits with six strikeouts and only one walk.
 
In the second half of the twinbill, UAM posted three runs in the bottom of the seventh off three hits to earn the walk-off victory. Junior Sarah Hayslip was the hero in the win with her game-winning single through the right side of the infield that scored freshman Maggie Sands, who also had a key at bat earlier in the inning with a two-RBI single to left field.
 
UAM’s other two runs came on a two-RBI double to the left-center gap by Jackson in the bottom of the third frame that scored Hickman and senior Bethany Falcon.
 
Falcon and Hickman led the Cotton Blossoms with a pair of hits each. Sands led the RBI category with her two-RBI single in the seventh.
 
Sophomore Amanda Nordberg (1-0) picked up the win and finished the game with four ones in her pitching line with one run off one hit with one strikeout and only one walk in her two full innings of relief. Alexandra Doyle (0-2) took the loss for SAU after going the distance, allowing all five runs off seven hits with four strikeouts and only one walk.
 
“We certainly did not play as well as I expected and we have several problem areas that need work,” said UAM head coach Alvy Early. “SAU played very well and is a much improved team from last year.”
 
The Cotton Blossoms will see if the rust has been knocked off when the team participates in the Charger Chill-Out this weekend (February 19-21) in Decatur, Ala., starting with a 10 a.m. contest against Augusta State this Friday.