CONWAY, Ark. – Delta State University softball suffered a sweep in a doubleheader against the University of Arkansas-Monticello on Wednesday night at Farris Field on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas.
THE BASICS: (GM1) Arkansas-Monticello 6 – Delta State 5
(GM2) Arkansas-Monticello 8 – Delta State 7
- Date: Wednesday, March 11
- Location: Farris Field | University of Central Arkansas | Conway, Ark.
- Records: Arkansas-Monticello (14-3, 6-0 GAC) | Delta State (9-8, 2-3 GSC)
HOW IT HAPPENEDGame One- Senior Brook Cline got things started early in the first inning on a two-RBI single to center field, scoring Kory Watterson and Taylor Holland to take the 2-0 lead over UAM.
- The Cotton Blossoms responded with four runs in the bottom of the third to snatch the lead, 4-2.
- Possession of the lead did not hold as Jessie Rodriguez hammered a ball over the left field fence to score Kara Lane Nowell, tying the game at 4-4.
- Monticello scored two runs on back-to-back doubles in the bottom of the fourth to regain the lead 6-4.
- Nowell, in her first start of the season, dropped a ball down the right field line, scoring Andrea Cutts. A bang-bang play at the plate prevented Cline from scoring and tying the game, leaving the score 6-5 for the final tally.
- Nowell led the offensive strike for DSU, going 2-for-3 and driving in one. Kassidy Tally and Cline followed with 2-for-4 performances.
- Taylor Tucker (1-4) suffered the loss, pitching 3.0 innings and giving up two earned runs on two hits.
Game Two- Game two was a retaliation matchup that featured scoring back and forth in an attempt to answer the other team's strike.
- Monticello was the first to attack in the bottom of the first to take the early 1-0 lead.
- In the top of the second, Delta State scored five runs on five hits and two UAM errors to take the commanding 5-1 advantage.
- The Cotton Blossoms responded with two runs in the bottom frame to cut the deficit to two, 5-3.
- After a hitless night, Katelyn Westbrook came through with an RBI-single to score Cutts and extend DSU's lead to 6-3.
- UAM answered right back with three runs on two hits and two Delta State errors, notching the score at 6-6.
- The Lady Statesmen regained the lead, 7-6, when Watterson put down an infield single to score Tally in the top of the fourth.
- Monticello capitalized on DSU's pitching struggles that resulted in two runs coming around via walks, which ended up being detrimental as the Green-and-White fell 8-7 in game two.
- Cutts went 3-for-4 to lead offensively in game two. Tally and Nowell followed, going 2-for-4.
- Brooke Watts (0-1) suffered the loss in her fourth appearance of the season, pitching 4.0 innings and giving up seven runs, three earned, on eight hits.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE- In her first start this season, Kara Lane Nowell made a big impact on DSU's offense. The sophomore went 4-for-7 on the night, driving in one run and scoring twice.
- Kassidy Tally, Brook Cline, and Andrea Cutts each had big nights offensively. Tally went 4-for-8, driving in two runs and scoring twice. Cline combined for 3-for-7 at the plate with three RBIs, while Cutts recorded four hits in seven at-bats, scoring three times.
- Delta State used all five pitchers in the series with UAM.
WHO'S NEXTDSU will return to Gulf South Conference play on Saturday, March 14 at home against Union University. The first pitch of the doubleheader is set for 4:00 p.m. The series finale will take place on Sunday, March 15 at 1:00 p.m.
