(ARKADELPHIA, Ark.) — The Jennies softball team concluded weekend play splitting a doubleheader with Henderson State (7-5 win) and Ouachita Baptist (6-5 loss in eight innings) to finish the first weekend with a 2-2 record.
In game one at Henderson State, the Jennies (2-2) fell behind, 4-0 in the bottom of the first inning after the Lady Reddies capitalized on two UCM errors.
Henderson State tacked on a fifth run in the bottom of the fourth frame on an RBI single by Sarah Gipson.
UCM jumped back into the game in the top of the fifth, scoring three times and taking advantage of two errors by Henderson State. Braylyn Bivens and Madison Hood each had RBI groundouts and Alex Groeger drove in the third run on a single.
Two more runs from the Jennies in the top of the sixth knotted the game at 5-5 after two of the first three batters singled later scored on an error by the left fielder.
The Jennies completed the comeback in the seventh inning loading the bases for Emily King who singled home Jakki Prater and Alex Groeger, giving UCM a 7-5 lead.
Starting pitcher Katie Shockley (1-0) retired Henderson State 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh to notch her first victory of the season. The junior tossed a complete game and struck out four, while allowing five runs (two earned), 10 hits and issuing two walks.
In game two at Ouachita Baptist, the Jennies got on the board early thanks to a leadoff double by Bivens who would score on a throwing error by the pitcher.
Jennies starter Jessica Wilkes yielded four runs to Ouachita Bapitst in the bottom of the second, highlighted by doubles from Suzie Gresham and Macy Nantz.
The Jennies got a run back in the third on a bases loaded walk by Prater, cutting the deficit to 4-2, and tied the game in the fourth on RBI singles by Bivens and Lindsey Dawson.
The game went into the eighth inning tied at 4-4 with Dawson on second base via the international tiebreaker rule. After King flew out for the first out, Kristen Heil singled and advanced to second, with Dawson moving to third.
The next batter, Keelia Martin struck out swinging, but Dawson scored the go-ahead run following the strikeout.
The Tigers scored the game-tying and game-winning runs in the bottom of the eighth after the first two batters reached base and were singled home by Gresham and Nantz.
Bivens finished game two going 3-for-4 with two runs and an RBI.
The Jennies will travel to Bentonville, Ark. to take part in the Arkansas-Monticello Softball Classic from Feb. 14-16.
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