SWOSU Sports
Doug Self, Sports Information Director
WEATHERFORD – SWOSU Softball picked up their first Great American Conference series sweep in almost six years after taking down Arkansas-Monticello twice on Saturday at the Athletic Complex in Weatherford.
The Bulldogs (5-25, 5-15 GAC) now ride the momentum of their four straight wins and will be back at home next weekend to face Southern Nazarene in another GAC series.
SWOSU 8, Arkansas-Monticello 5
A four-run fifth inning broke a 4-4 tie and allowed the Bulldogs to pull away and win the first game on Saturday. UAM scored single runs in the first and second innings, but SWOSU tied the game on a two-run home run by Allyson Gafford in the second and took a 4-2 lead with a two-run triple from Sidney Kirk in the third.
UAM tied the game with two unearned runs in the top of the fifth inning, but they would not remain tied for long as Amanda Moreno highlighted a four-run fifth inning with a two-run triple off the fence in right field. Leading 8-4, SWOSU allowed just one run in the sixth and hung on for the victory.
Rileigh Ricken (2-10) picked up her second win of the weekend, throwing 4.2 innings and allowing four runs on six hits before Miranda Grover recorded the final seven outs to earn her first save of the season.
SWOSU 11, Arkansas-Monticello 4
The Bulldogs offense was again at its best down the stretch, with SWOSU scoring five runs in both the fifth and sixth innings to run away with the series finale. UAM scored the first two runs of the game – both unearned – in the top of the fourth inning before SWOSU got one back on a double steal in the bottom of the inning.
After UAM upped their lead to 3-1 in the fifth, SWOSU got five runs on six hits in the bottom of the inning – highlighted by a two-run single from Ricken and an RBI single from Kirk. The Blossoms added one run in the sixth, but another five-run frame for SWOSU put the game away as Ricken, Kinsey Skroh and Gafford each had RBI hits in the inning.
SWOSU used three pitchers in the game, but it was Grover (2-5) picking up the win after tossing the first 5.0 innings and allowing just three runs – one earned – on nine hits.