MONTICELLO, Ark. – The Barry University softball team (19-9) closed out their 10-game road stint splitting a doubleheader against the host Arkansas-Monticello Cotton Blossoms (19-6) earlier today at Blossom Field. The Buccaneers lost the first game 4-3 and won the nightcap 7-0.

Jodie Scott put the Cotton Blossoms on the board early with a two-run home run in the bottom of the first. However, Barry responded in the top half of the next inning and took advantage of two errors and tied the game, 2-2. The Buccaneers took a short lead, 3-2 in the fourth when Amanda Moore (Jr., St. Louis, Mo.) belted her second homer of the year, but in the bottom of the same inning Arkansas-Monticello's Casey Beach tied the game with an RBI single.

Tied 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh and two outs, Gemma Gibson hit an RBI double to left field to give the host Cotton Blossoms the 4-3 win. Ashley Loose (So., Mill Creek, Wash.) led the Bucs with two hits, while Moore added her 21st career home run. Meredith Heckel, Gibson and Beach collected two hits each, while Scott added two RBI to lead Arkansas-Monticello. Although striking out a career-high 13 batters, Elizabeth Bennett (So., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) suffered the loss for Barry giving up four runs (three earned) and walked one to fall to 11-6 on the year. Ashley Burkett (8-2) earned the win for the Cotton Blossoms going seven innings allowing three runs (one earned) and struck out six.

The tide shifted in the nightcap as Barry rolled the Cotton Blossoms 7-0. Delilah Stroup (Sr., Punta Gorda, Fla.) led the Buccaneers with three hits and scored three times, while Maile Keeney (So., Longwood, Fla.) and Holli Davis each pounded out two hits. Barry plated single runs in the first and second innings then added three more in the third for a 5-0 lead. Behind Keeney's team-high three RBI, the Bucs scored twice more on single runs in the fourth and sixth innings for the win.

Ramie Garcia (Jr., Scottsdale, Ariz.) picked up the win for Barry hurling a one-hit shutout through seven innings and struck out four to improve to 8-3. Megan Lybarger (5-3) suffered the loss for Arkansas-Monticello going 2.1 innings, while giving up five runs (four earned) and struck out two.

Barry returns to the friendly confines of Buccaneer Field in Miami Shores next weekend and will pick up where they left off facing the heart of the Sunshine State Conference schedule. The Buccaneers will host the Rollins Tars Friday, Mar. 18 at 7 pm for a single game and then again on Saturday, Mar. 19 at 2 pm for a doubleheader.

Arkansas-Monticello 4, Barry 3 (03/11/2005 at Monticello, Ark.) (Game 1)
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Barry .... 020 100 0 - 3 6 0 (18-9)
Arkansas-Monticello. 200 100 1 - 4 8 2 (19-5)
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Pitchers: Barry University - Bennett. Arkansas-Monticello - A. Burkett.
Win-A. Burkett(8-2) Loss-Bennett(11-6) T-2:16 A-0
HR BUS - Moore (2).
HR UAM - J. Scott (5).
Game: SB0311A

Barry 7, Arkansas-Monticello 0 (03/11/2005 at Monticello, Ark.) (Game 2)
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Barry............... 113 101 0 - 7 10 1 (19-9)
Arkansas-Monticello. 000 000 0 - 0 1 1 (19-6)
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Pitchers: Barry - Garcia. Arkansas-Monticello - M. Lybarger; K. Calloway(3); L. Vaughn(5);
L. Rymes(7).
Win-Garcia(8-3) Loss-M. Lybarger(5-3) T-2:14 A-68
Game: SB0311B