MonticelloLive

Meredith Heckel (Jr., Hot Springs, Ark.) blasted her 17th and 18th home runs of the season to tie the UAM single-season home runs mark set by Laura Lockaby (2003) to lead the University of Arkansas at Monticello Cotton Blossoms (41-16, 17-8 GSC) to a doubleheader sweep over the Southern Arkansas Lady Muleriders, winning the opening game 8-6 and the final game 6-4. With the wins, the Cotton Blossoms clinch a share of their sixth Gulf South Conference-West Division championship in eight seasons, and their first since 2004.

In the opening game, UAM opened scoring in the second inning as Joleah Oxner (Sr., Monticello, Ark.) laced an RBI single to left, giving UAM an early 1-0 lead. The Cotton Blossoms struck again in the third as Gemma Gibson (Jr., Dodd City, Texas) belted a grand slam, her fourth home run of the year to give UAM a 5-0 lead going into the bottom of the third.

SAU got on the board in the bottom of the inning, pulling to within 5-1 on an error, before the Blossoms tacked on three more runs in the fourth, as Heckel hit a two-run triple, and later scored on a wild pitch to give UAM an 8-1 lead.

SAU pulled to within 8-2 in the fifth, and came up big in the sixth with a four-run inning to pull to within 8-6, but starter Kate Brady (Jr., Longview, Texas) was able to shut the Lady Muleriders down in the seventh to seal the victory.

Brady picked up the win after scattering 13 hits over seven innings, allowing six runs, four earned, and walking one. Brady and Gibson both picked up two hits in the victory.

In the second game, Heckel belted a leadoff homer to give UAM an early 1-0 lead, and the Cotton Blossoms would add another run in the inning as Kayla Temple (Fr., Downsville, La.) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, forcing in a run to give UAM a 2-0 lead.

SAU tied the game in the bottom of the inning as Tisha Thompson hit a towering two-run homer to center, but Heckel belted her second home run of the game in the second inning to push UAM ahead 3-1.

A two-run, fourth inning single by Jenny Dunn (Jr., Adelaide, Australia) gave UAM a 5-2 lead. Again, the Lady Muleriders would make the game close in the late innings, taking advantage of an error on a sacrifice fly to score two runs and pull to within 5-4, but Alison North (Fr., Marion, La.) shut SAU down in order in the seventh to seal the UAM victory.

North went the distance for the Cotton Blossoms, picking up a complete game victory after giving up seven hits and four runs, fanning three.

UAM will return to action on Saturday, April 28, hosting Southern Arkansas in their regular season finale at Blossoms Field. While UAM holds a share of the GSC-West championship, they must win one more game to win the championship outright and claim the top seed in the GSC-West in the GSC tournament. First pitch from Blossoms Field is set for 1 p.m.