SHAWNEE – Oklahoma Baptist picked up its first Great American Conference victory Friday and came just short of a sweep, beating Arkansas-Monticello 7-3 in the opener before losing 3-1 in eight innings in the second game.
The Cotton Blossoms scored in the top of the first of the opener on a Kali Bolter RBI single but OBU evened the score in the home half on a sacrifice fly by Hannah Morris.
OBU opened a 3-1 lead in the second on Madison Vaughan's first OBU home run – a two-run shot.
The Lady Bison tacked on three more in the fifth when Harlee Griffis sacrificed in one run on a squeeze, with another run scoring on an error. Kasey Maddux was hit by a pitch to force in a run. It was the second time Maddux was hit by a pitch and gave her a share of the career hit by pitch record. She has been hit 37 times, matching the career record of Krystal Johnson.
Monticello scored in the sixth on a Bolter sacrifice fly, but OBU got that run back in the home half of the sixth on an RBI single by Morris.
Holly Wilmarth singled in a run in the top of the seventh for the final 7-3 margin.
OBU had nine hits, including three each by Shalee Cordell and Kasey Jo Burgess.
McKenzie Jones (1-4) went the distance, striking out five batters.
OBU broke a scoreless tie in the second game in the bottom of the fourth when Vaughan singled in Maddox.
Monticello tied the game in the sixth on an RBI single by Jordan Williams.
The Blossoms scored two runs in the top of the eighth on three hits and an error.
Amanda Peterson (1-2) took the loss though she fanned seven batters.
Elzabieth Delafield (3-2) held OBU to five hits, including a double and a single by Vaughan.
Now 3-8 overall and 1-5 in the GAC, the Lady Bison face Arkansas-Monticello two more times, starting at 1 p.m. Saturday.
