Arkansas, Delce Overpower Drake in Run-Rule Victory

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The No. 8 ranked Arkansas softball team (13-3) concluded the Razorback Invitational with its fourth five-inning run-rule victory of the year in an 8-0 (5 inn.) decision over Drake Sunday at Bogle Park. Arkansas finished the Razorback Invitational 5-1 with two wins against No. 19 Arizona.

The Hogs move to 13-3 on the season with victories against three ranked foes.

Reigning SEC Pitcher of the Year Chenise Delce (7-1) overpowered Drake in the five-inning blanking to earn her seventh win of the season. The Oklahoma City native did not allow a run on two hits (zero extra-base hits) and clocked six strikeouts. Delce worked around runners in scoring position in the first and third frames. Going 4-0 on the weekend, Delce earned two Top 25 wins and allowed a minuscule two runs across 18.1 innings pitched. In the game one win against Arizona on Feb. 23, Delce struck out a season high 12 batters. Delce checked opposing hitters to a .127 batting average over the weekend. In her last 25.1 IP, Delce has limited opponents to only two runs.

Arkansas homered twice via Cylie Halvorson and Kacie Hoffmann’s two-run Bogle bombs. Freshman Reagan Johnson tied her career high in hits after finishing 3-for-4 with a career best two RBIs. Filing her fifth multi-hit game as a Razorback, Johnson also walked-off the game with her two-RBI double to right center in the bottom of the fifth. Sophomore Kacie Hoffmann finished 2-for-2 with a two-run blast and Cylie Halvorson finished 1-for-2 with a two-run tank.

Joining Hoffmann and Johnson in Arkansas’ tally in the hits column Sunday afternoon was Cylie Halvorson (1-for-2), Kristina Foreman (1-for-2), Lauren Camenzind (1-for-1) and Tymber Riley (1-for-1).

The Hogs tacked on three runs in the first on Halvorson’s two-run homer. A bases-loaded walk taken by Lauren Camenzind garnered a 3-0 lead.

Kacie Hoffmann padded the lead to 5-0 in the third thanks to her two-run crank.

Tymber Riley’s first career hit and RBI as a Razorback, an RBI single to left, scored Kristina Foreman from second for a 6-0 edge. Then, Reagan Johnson ended the game with a two-RBI double to right center to capture an 8-0 triumph.

Notes

• Chenise Delce has not allowed a run in her last 11.1 IP.
• Delce has surrendered just two runs in her last 25.1 IP.
• Delce is 7-1 on the season.
• Reagan Johnson tied her career high in hits (3) and drove in a career high two runs.
• Johnson posted her fifth multi hit game of the season.
• Johnson extends her hit streak to three games. She has registered at least one hit in eight of her last nine games.
• Hannah Gammill has scored a run in the last three games.
• Lauren Camenzind has registered a hit in three of her four starts at catcher over the weekend.
• The Razorbacks went 5-1 on the weekend, including two wins over No. 19 Arizona.
• Fifth-year Tymber Riley connected on her first hit as a Razorback – an RBI single to left.

Up Next

Arkansas hosts the Wooo Pig Classic on March 2-5 at Bogle Park, welcoming Iowa State, Texas A&M-CC and North Texas. The Razorbacks open against Iowa State at 4 p.m. Thursday on SEC Network+. For more schedule updates, go to ArkansasRazorbacks.com, or follow @RazorbackSB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.