MONTICELLO – The University of Arkansas at Monticello softball team completed a four-game Great American Conference series sweep over Southern Nazarene with 2-1 and 3-2 wins on Saturday at Blossoms Field.
The Blossoms (8-4, 4-0 GAC) got started early with a solo homerun from senior Holly Wilmarth in the bottom of the first inning, her team-high fifth round-tripper of the season.
SNU (5-7, 0-4 GAC) answered in the top of the second with an RBI single from Hannah LeBeau.
Both teams were held scoreless through the next three innings before a double-steal in the bottom of the sixth gave UAM a lead and ended up finalizing the scoring. Senior McKenzie Rice led off the inning with a walk and moved to third on a single by Wilmarth. During the next at bat, Wilmarth stole second, and Rice took off for home on the throw, scoring without a play.
Wilmarth's homer and single were UAM's only two hits of the game.
Junior Kendra Coleman (4-2) earned her second complete-game win of the series, giving up one run off six hits with six strikeouts and one walk. SNU's Kayla Wyatt (1-3) took the loss, allowing two runs off two hits with 10 strikeouts and four walks.
In the finale, UAM again took an early lead, capitalizing on an SNU error to score one run in the bottom of the first.
The Crimson Storm knotted it up and one in the third on a solo homerun by Sam Smith. The Blossoms answered in the bottom half of the inning on a two-run triple by sophomore Ashton Currey to put UAM up 3-1.
SNU's Smith hit an RBI double in the top of the fourth to finalize the scoring. SNU had the bases loaded in the sixth and ended the game with a 9-2 advantage in the hit column. SNU's Katelyn Brown (3-3) retired the Blossoms in order in the final three innings, but still took the complete-game loss.
Sophomore Alyson Finnigan (2-0) earned the win in relief, allowing one run off five hits with two strikeouts and two walks in the final 4.2 innings.
UAM is back in action next weekend on the road against Oklahoma Baptist in a four-game GAC series.
