MonticelloLive

After dropping a 6-5 heartbreaker to Hawaii Pacific in the opening game of the day’s doubleheader, the University of Arkansas at Monticello Cotton Blossoms (1-5) held on to salvage a doubleheader split in the second game after picking up a 3-1 victory.In the opener, the Cotton Blossoms seemed to be well on their way to picking up a win, quickly jumping out to a 4-0 lead as Becca Tipton (Fr., Monticello,Ark.) belted her third home run of the year, a towering grand slam toright-center field in the top of the first inning.

UAM extended their lead to 5-0 in the top of the third inning as Jenny Dunn (Jr., Adelaide, Australia) scored on a wild pitch.

The Sea Warriors charged back however, scoring their first run in the bottom of the fourth and then adding two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to pull to within 5-3.

Needing two runs to tie and three to win entering the bottom of the seventh inning, the Sea Warriors quickly loaded the bases; tying the game after a wild pitch and picking up the win after a UAM error.

Leah Vaughn (Jr., Crestview, Fla.) suffered the loss, falling to 0-2 on the season after allowing three runs, two earned, in one third of an inning in relief of Alison North (Fr., Marion, La.), who scattered six hits over six innings, allowing three runs.

Dunn and Sarah Reed (Sr., McKinney, Texas) both picked up two hits in the loss, while Tipton was three-for-four, adding a double and single to her grand slam.

In the nightcap, the Blossoms picked up their first win of the season behind the solid pitching of Kate Brady (Jr., Longview, Texas), who scattered seven hits over seven innings, allowing one unearned run, improving to 1-2 on the season.

The Blossoms scored first once again, as Brady scored on an error in the top of the second inning to give UAM a 1-0 lead. The Cotton Blossoms tacked on another pair in the top of the third, as Meredith Heckel (Jr., Hot Springs, Ark.) hit an RBI single and Brady hit a sacrifice fly to score Kayla Temple (Fr., West Monroe, La.) and extend the UAM lead to 3-0.

The Sea Warriors scored their lone run on a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.

The Cotton Blossoms will continue their Hawaii trip with a Tuesday doubleheader at BYU-Hawaii.