MONTICELLO- Arkansas-Monticello put together a pair of strong offensive performances against Ouachita Baptist, sweeping the second day of the four-game Gulf South Conference series, 12-4 in Game 3, and 11-3 in Game 4 at Blossoms Field in Monticello on Sunday.
Ouachita (26-14, 7-9 GSC West) couldn’t maintain pace with the top team in the GSC West in Arkansas-Monticello (33-6, 10-2 GSC West) after splitting on Day 1 with a 7-4 opening series victory, before losing 3-1 in Game 2.
In the first inning of Game 3, junior Kristen Rigsbee (9) slammed a two-run home run to open action, giving Ouachita a 2-0 lead. Arkansas-Monticello answered back with solo runs in the bottom of the first and second inning to tie the game at 2-2.
Ouachita senior Haley Chambers put the Lady Tigers back on top with a two-run triple to center field, scoring junior Sarah Bell who singled, and Rigsbee who walked, to give Ouachita a 4-2 lead. The Cotton Blossoms came back to score three in the bottom half of the third inning, two of which were on a Sarah Hayslip two-run homer to grab the lead at 5-4.
Arkansas-Monticello would go on to add seven runs in the final two innings, ending the game in the sixth inning, 12-4.
Rigsbee (16-4) went five innings in the losing effort, while allowing 10 earned runs on 11 hits. Arkansas Monticello’s Kayla Jackson (17-3) went the distance for the Cotton Blossoms, going six innings and allowing four earned runs on six hits.
Chambers finished at 3-for-3 at the plate, recording 2 RBI, while Rigsbee finished at 2-for-2 with 2 RBI and two runs scored.
In Game 4, Ouachita Baptist again came out swinging, scoring three runs in the opening inning to take a 3-0 lead. Freshman Megan Askew scored the first run after reaching on a walk and scoring on a wild pitch. Senior Haley Chambers then followed with an RBI double, scoring junior Sarah Bell to give the Lady Tigers a 2-0 lead. Freshman Kayci Wilson then added an RBI single one batter later, driving in Chambers for a 3-0 lead. The first inning scoring marked the third time in the four-game series that the Lady Tigers jumped out on top in the opening inning.
Unfortunately, it would be all the offense the Lady Tigers could produce, as Arkansas-Monticello scored two runs in the second inning and nine runs in the final three innings to secure the victory, 11-3.
Chambers and Wilson each finished the afternoon at 1-for-3 with an RBI each, while sophomore Jana Deen and Rigsbee each added a hit for Ouachita. The Lady Tigers recorded four hits as a team. Wilson (7-7) received the loss on the mound, going 5 2/3 innings, while allowing six earned runs (11 total) on 11 hits. Wilson also struck out six and walked one in the outing.
Ouachita Baptist returns to Sully Anderson Field on Wednesday for a non-conference doubleheader against Missouri S&T (16-8) beginning at 1 p.m.
