Box Score OXFORD, Ala. --- The No. 6 seeded Montevallo softball team hit five home runs en route to a first round upset of No. 3 seed and 20th-ranked West Florida 8-7 in the opening game of the Gulf South Conference tournament at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Alabama. With the win, the Falcons (26-21) advanced to the winners bracket to face the winner of the game between No. 2 seed Valdosta State and No. 7 seed West Alabama at 3:00 p.m.
Falcons Leaders
The Falcons had eight hits in the game, five left the park. Senior third baseman
Sierra Easterwood and designated player
Carlee Mullinax hit two homers each, while pinch-hitter
Lauren Higginbotham added another. Easterwood was 3-for-3 with four RBIs and a walk. Mullinax was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
Kinley Adams also had multiple hits, going 2-for-3 and scoring three runs to go with a walk and two steals.
Pitching
Senior
Kaylee Hawkins improved to 8-7 with the win. She pitched 2 2/3 innings of relief. She came into the game in the fifth inning, allowing only one baserunner on a walk.
Key Plays:
1st Inning
Sierra Easterwood got the Falcons on the board in the first at-bat of the game, leading off with her 19th homer of the season. However, UWF answered in the bottom of the inning with two runs on an RBI double by Erin Moon and a run-scoring single by Madilynne Webb, giving the Argonauts a 2-1 lead.
3rd Inning
Easterwood tied the game with an RBI single, scoring
Kinley Adams who led off the inning with a base-hit and stolen base. But, the Argonauts reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single by Kayanna Perez. The Argonauts threatened to open the flood gates, loading the bases with two outs. But, the Falcons escaped without further damage.
4th Inning
The Argonauts increased their lead when Moon scored on an infield single, making it 4-2. UWF loaded the bases again with two outs, but Falcons reliever
Mabry Norris got out of the jam, forcing a fly out the end the inning.
5th Inning
Easterwood struck again, crushing her second home run of the game, a 2-run shot, tying the game at 4-4. But, UWF responded in the bottom of the inning with a 3-run homer by Moon, giving the Argos a 7-4.
6th Inning
The Falcons battled back to tie the game at 7-all. A pair of solo homers from
Carlee Mullinax and
Lauren Higginbotham cut the deficit to 7-6. Then with the bases loaded and one out, Adams scored on a passed ball to tie the game.
7th Inning
The Falcons took the lead on the second bomb of the game by Mullinax.
