MEMPHIS—No. 11 Arkansas-Monticello pounded out 26 hits, including four home runs, as they swept a doubleheader from the Christian Brothers University Lady Bucs, winning 11-3 in the first game and 13-10 in the nightcap.

In the opener, the Lady Bucs (6-9, 0-2 GSC West) built an early lead.  After a hit batter and an error, Kathleen Nelson (Bartlett, Tenn./Bolton HS) belted a two-run double to left to give the Lady Bucs a 2-0 lead after two innings.  Another RBI double from Nelson in the fourth inning pushed the lead to 3-0, but the floodgates opened in the top of the fifth.

The Cotton Blossoms (19-1, 2-0) scored 11 runs in the inning on eight hits and four walks, including a grand slam by Faith Lund that set the final margin at 11-3.

Marie Joiner (San Clemente, Calif./San Clemente HS) and Nelson collected two hits each for the Lady Bucs, with Nelson driving in three runs.  Kaylea Brewer (Pulaski, Tenn./Giles County HS) scored twice.

In the second game, the Cotton Blossoms scored in six of the seven innings, scoring more than one run five times.  They scored two in the first after a pair of errors, but the Lady Bucs cut a run off the lead in the bottom of the inning as Nelson walked and scored on a Joiner hit.

UAM scored two more in the second and another run in the third to take a 5-1 edge before Joiner drove in Nikki Story (Southaven, Miss./Southaven HS) on a bases-loaded two-out single.  UAM appeared to put it away for good as they scored three in the fourth and two in the fifth to take a 10-2 lead into the bottom of the fifth inning.

With two out, the Lady Bucs staved off the run-rule on a two-run homer to right-center from Kim Adams (Southaven, Miss./Southaven HS).  Emily Schmidt (Olive Branch, Miss./Center Hill HS) followed with a two-run homer of her own to cut the lead to 10-6.  After a scoreless sixth inning, the Lady Bucs plated three more in the bottom of the sixth inning as Joiner hit a two-run single and Lauren Dorsett (Mufreesboro, Tenn./Blackman HS) added an RBI single to trim the lead to one.

With two out in the top of the seventh, UAM broke it open for good with a single, a triple, and a homer to take a 13-9 lead.  Casey King (Flower Mound, Texas/Flower Mound HS) had an RBI single in the bottom of the inning to bring the potential tying run to the plate, but a strikeout ended the threat.

King went 4-for-5 in the game, while Joiner went 3-for-4 with four RBI.  Story and Dorsett collected two hits each.

The Lady Bucs and Cotton Blossoms meet again Sunday at noon to complete the first GSC series of the season for both squads.