WEATHERFORD – Arkansas Monticello's lone run in the sixth inning held up, handing SWOSU Softball a 1-0 defeat on Saturday in the series finale.
 
Despite the loss, the Bulldogs pick up their first GAC series victory of the season.
 
Neither team had a hit through the first four innings of the game on Saturday. Lily Barfield finally had her no-hit bid spoiled in the fifth by UAM. She pitched into the sixth before a second single from the Cotton Blossoms with one out brought on Alexis Taylor in relief. After a long at-bat that ended with a Taylor strikeout, with two outs, UAM doubled in what proved to be the game winning run.
 
The Bulldogs broke up UAM's no-hit bid in the home half of the sixth courtesy of a Sierra Woods' bunt, but she was stranded in scoring position. Then, in SWOSU's final at-bat, Taylor McMahon pushed Riley Lusk into scoring position with SWOSU's second hit of the day – a single down the left field line. Lusk had walked with one out. With two runners on and one out, a double play following a pitching change ended the threat and the game.
 
SWOSU finished with two hits to UAM's four. Barfield was handed the tough luck loss, whose run was aboard when she exited the game. It was her longest and best outing of the season. She pitched to contact all afternoon, scattering two hits while striking out and walking one.
 
The Bulldogs, now winners of four of their last seven, will face Newman in a road midweek doubleheader before traveling to face a ranked Southern Arkansas squad in Magnolia, Arkansas next weekend.