Game 1 | Game 2
MONTICELLO, Ark. – The UAM Cotton Blossoms got the first two wins of the four-game GAC series with Arkansas Tech this afternoon, winning 1-0 and 4-3.
The Blossoms (26-10, 14-2 GAC) scored the first games' only run in the bottom of the first. Beth Johnson led the game with a walk and advanced to second on a Katie Bowman grounder to the pitcher. Sara Matthews drove in the run two batters later with a double through the left side for what would be the winning run.
Kayla Jackson held the Golden Suns (14-20, 8-12 GAC) scoreless, giving up just four hits in the complete game. The senior GAC Player of the Week walked just one and struck-out nine in the game. She then came on to close game two for her second win of the day.
UAM got on the board first in the bottom of the second. Sara Matthews led the inning with a single to center. A Beth Johnson double moved her up to third to put two on for Katie Bowman. The right fielder hit a shot up the middle to the pitcher that allowed Matthews to come home.
Arkansas Tech took their only lead of the day in the fifth thanks to a two-run homerun from Victoria Huie, but the Blossoms retook the lead in the home half of the inning thanks to a double from Sara Matthews that plated Kayla Jackson and Maggie Sands.
Both teams scored again in the sixth as the Blossoms were able to cling to their one-run lead. Katie Slaughter came out of the game in the inning after a throwing error and a double put runners on second and third with no outs. Kayla Jackson came in from first to pitch and got the three outs but not before Siarra Gomez tied the game at three.
Tech's game two starter Rachel Keeton gave up three straight singles to load the bases with one out before their game one starter came back into the game. Victoria Huie got Jennifer Hickman to pop out to left, but then hit Kayla Jackson to send across the winning run.
The two wins improve Jackson to 18-4 on the season. She had one walk and two strikeouts in the second game. The two teams will return to finish the series tomorrow with a second doubleheader beginning at noon.
