Hot-Hitting Blossoms Too Much for the Storm

MONTICELLO, Ark. – Southeastern drops both games in Friday's doubleheader at Arkansas-Monticello after an 8-1 defeat in game one and a 12-4 loss in the second. The Savage Storm (18-23, 10-13 GAC) concludes the series with UAM on Saturday at noon.
 
GAME ONE: UAM 8, SE 1
Southeastern opened the scoring with a single run in the top of the first, but the Cotton Blossoms would surge out to a 6-1 edge after scoring two runs in the first and four in the second. UAM added another score in the third and later in the fifth, while the Storm continued to be held in check at the plate, trailing the Blossoms 8-1.
 
SE would be held to just two base runners the rest of the game and finish one hit that came in the top of the seventh on a double by India McMurray. Emily Simmons (7-7) started game one and went 1.2 innings, while Alyson Malone pitched the final 4.1 frames.
 
GAME TWO: UAM 12, SE 4 (5 Inn.)
UAM was off to another fast start in the second game, taking a 4-0 lead after scoring two runs in the first and second. The blue and gold soon got on the board in the third, scoring one run on a solo home run by Iliana Olivares. However, the Blossoms hung another crooked number in the bottom half of the third to grow their lead to 6-1.
 
SE began to build off the momentum from the third offensively, as the Storm led off the fourth with back-to-back home runs by E. Simmons and Tally Rowland to cut UAM's lead in half, 6-3. Southeastern would add one more run in the fourth with bases loaded on a fielder's choice play that plated Laci Larsen, who reached earlier in the inning on a six-pitch walk, down 6-4.
 
The Blossoms remained red-hot at the plate, scratching in two more runs to stretch their lead back to 8-4. UAM's advantage grew to 12-4 in the bottom of the fifth, following a four-run frame by the Blossoms. Southeastern tallied seven hits in the game, led by two from McMurray and T. Rowland, while Olivares drove in two runs and had a home run.