PI 7.3 Split Mapping with a Java map

I am having a unique problem with setting up a new split mapping.  I have setup the following:

First step - Java Mapping for splitting a single order into multiple orders (still 1 to 1 based on the XSD schema, just creating extra order nodes)

Second step - a standard message mapping that will map each order from the java mapping to a ORDERS05 IDOC.

The XML being produced is supposed to be the following:

<ENACOM>

     <UNB>

          <UNG>

          <ORDERS>      <- this is where you are allowed unbounded orders via the schema

          <UNE>

     <UNZ>

The java map successfully creates the above XML, but when I try to use it via end-to-end testing, I get the following error:

com/sap/xi/tf/_MM_CRM_<mapping name>_com.sap.aii.utilxi.misc.api.BaseRuntimeException: The prefix "sxi" for element "sxi:Messages" is not bound.

I did an xml dump of what is being returned and the following is there:

<sxi:Messages>

     <sxi:Message1>

          <ENACOM>

My java code does not add the "sxi:Messages" xml tag.  PI must be adding it for me.  However, it is definitely not adding it correctly as it doesn't add the namesspace for sxi.

Has anybody seen this behavior?  Any idea on how to get PI to use a java mapping with split/merge functionality?   I know how to code Java well, but relatively new to PI and this has definitely got me stumped.

Thanks for any assistance you can provide!