BENTONVILLE, Arkansas — The University of Arkansas at Monticello softball team ended the 2016 season with losses in its first two games at the Great American Conference Softball Championship Tournament that lasted into the middle of the night on Thursday.

UAM, the No. 5 seed in the tournament, lost to No. 4 seed Harding 10-3 in the opener, and then lost to No. 8 seed Southern Nazarene 5-4 in an elimination game that lasted until midnight.

UAM's first game of the day, originally scheduled for a 4 p.m. start against Harding, was delayed more than two hours due to the noon game lasting 12 innings. The Blossoms and Lady Bisons got underway around 6:30 p.m.

Harding jumped out to a quick lead with two runs off three hits in the bottom of the first inning, and finished with 10 runs off 13 hits. Harding added four runs in the third, two in the fourth and two more in the fifth.

The Blossoms first got on the board in the second inning by taking advantage of a pair of Harding fielding errors, a walk and a hit batter. UAM's final two runs came on a two-run single from junior shortstop Korie Parker in the top of the fifth inning. The Blossoms were limited to five hits in the loss.

In the elimination game, Southern Nazarene scored one in the bottom of the first to take an early lead. The Crimson Storm added to that lead with four runs in the third inning, highlighted by a three-run home run by Sam Smith.

UAM senior pitcher Elizabeth Delafield (9-7) took the loss, but only allowed one SNU base runner in the final three innings.

The Blossoms took advantage of two singles, a walk, a hit batter, a wild pitch and an SNU error to plate three runs in the fourth inning. Parker was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded for an RBI, immediately followed by an RBI walk from senior left fielder Kali Piha.

UAM rallied in the seventh to load the bases with no outs, but was only able to get one run on an RBI groundout from freshman Kali Bolter.

Both teams had six hits in the contest. Sophomore first baseman Kelbe Callaway led UAM with two hits in four at bats.

The Blossoms end the 2016 campaign at 30-28 overall, marking the 15th 30-win season and the 17th winning season in the 21-year history of the program.