ARLINGTON, Texas The University of Arkansas softball team closed out its week-long road trip with a double-header split against Sun Belt opponent, UT-Arlington. The Razorbacks took game one by a score of 4-1, before dropping a 7-4 decision to the Mavericks in game two.
Up Next
Arkansas will return to Fayetteville and jump back into SEC play when they host #18 Kentucky for a three-game weekend series beginning Friday (March 29) at 6:00 pm. All three games will be available via live scoring and will be streamed on SEC+.
Game One: Arkansas 4, UTA 1
Arkansas (23-10, 4-5) jumped out to a quick start in game one, as sophomore Hannah McEwen rekindled her on-base streak with a lead-off walk for the Razorbacks. Seniors Ashley Diaz and Katie Warrick followed with back-to-back hits to score McEwen as the Hogs took a 1-0 lead after the first inning.
UTA (17-15) responded with a run in the bottom of the second, tying the game with a solo home run to center field off the bat of Aileen Garcia. It was the lone run from starting pitcher Autumn Storms, who would go on to hold the Maverick bats at bay for the victory.
The Razorbacks were able to pull away in the fifth inning, as McEwen again reached base as the lead-off hitter, connecting on the first pitch of the inning. Warrick stepped up to the plate and soared a two-run home run over the left-field wall. Her sixth home run of the season scored McEwen and Arkansas regained the lead, 3-1.
Sophomore Danielle Gibson did her part in the win with a lead-off double at the start of the seventh inning, Sydney Parr entered at second base to pinch run for the Razorbacks and crossed the plate as left fielder Ryan Jackson took a pitch to the leg with the bases loaded.
Storms gave up only four hits in the win, as she moves to 11-3 on the season. Sophomore Mary Haff entered in the bottom of the seventh with the tying run on base and struck out the side, recording her third save of the season. Together, the duo served up seven strikeouts against a UTA team that averaged less than three strikeouts per game.
Game Two: Arkansas 4, UTA 7
The Razorbacks would find themselves trailing 2-0 heading into the fifth inning in game two, after UTA scored two runs due to an error by the Arkansas defense in the second inning.
Freshman Taylor Greene was called on to pinch hit in the fifth for the Hogs and did her job with a crucial seven-pitch lead-off walk. Pinch-runner Sam Torres entered at first for Greene and with back-to-back ground outs by McEwen at Aly Manzo, Torres found herself in prime scoring position for Diaz. Diaz homered to left center and with Torres on base, tied the game at two runs apiece.
The Mavericks wasted no time taking back the lead, tallying two hits and scoring two additional runs on yet another Razorback error in the bottom of the fifth. The throwing error by game two starting pitcher, Haff is her first of the season.
Arkansas made another attack at the UTA lead in the top of the sixth, scoring Parr from third base after she reached first on a four-pitch walk and advanced on back-to-back walks that followed her own, and finally a fielding error by the Maverick shortstop forced by a hard hit from McEwen.
For the third time in game two, UTA extended its lead again, scoring three in the sixth inning. Haff would load the bases with a Maverick base hit up the middle and two walks, as Arkansas looked to Storms in the relief. Storms forced two ground outs to end the inning, but not before consecutive singles through the infield plated three additional runs in UTAs favor.
Diaz connected on a full-count pitch for her second home run of the game and sixth of the season, but the solo shot was not enough for a Razorback comeback and the Hogs fell in game two, 7-4.
Notables
Arkansas would leave ten runners stranded in each of the double-header match-ups. They have left 221 players on base this season, compared to 167 opposing players left on base.
Diaz is the first to hit two home runs in a single game since Gibson hit for the home run cycle against SIUE on Feb. 23.
Diaz three-RBI in game two pushed her into third place all-time at Arkansas for career RBI.
Mary Haff recorded seven strikeouts over the course of the double-header sliding her into fifth all-time at Arkansas for career strikeouts.
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