Razorbacks Rout Drake in Day 3
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – An early offensive outburst accompanied with stellar pitching by Callie Turner and resilient defense helped No. 8 Arkansas defeat Drake 7-2 Saturday afternoon at Bogle Park.
The Razorbacks are now 12-3 overall on the season.
Junior LHP Callie Turner earned the victory after twirling 6.0 innings in her fifth start of the season. Turner held Drake scoreless until the seventh when the Bulldogs added two runs on a triple. Turner carded a season high seven strikeouts and restricted Drake to two earned runs on two hits. Freshman LHP Robyn Herron pitched an inning of relief, entering the game in the top of the seventh with nobody out and runners at first and second. Initially giving up a base hit to left, Herron escaped a bases-loaded jam forcing a strikeout and groundout to end the ballgame.
The weather may have been cooler at Bogle Park Saturday, but Arkansas’ bats stayed hot, especially when the game commenced. Arkansas combined for seven hits with three being extra base knocks. Five of Arkansas’ seven runs came in the game’s first two innings.
Junior Hannah Gammill paced the Hogs offensively with two hits, including a double, and drove in two runs. Redshirt junior Rylin Hedgecock bashed her second home run in 24 hours after jacking a three-run homer in the first. After jacking the go-ahead home run last night against No. 19 Arizona, Hedgecock recorded back-to-back plate appearances that resulted in home runs. Freshman Rylee Cloud recorded her first career hit – an RBI double to left – in the fifth. Freshman Hannah Camenzind also drove in a run on an RBI single to second in the fifth frame. Freshman Madi Conklin cracked her first career hit – a single to center – in the bottom of the sixth. Freshman Reagan Johnson also began the game with a leadoff single up the middle.
Arkansas had a dominant defensive outing Saturday. Raigan Kramer made a grab in left and doubled off a Drake runner at second in the fifth. Atalyia Rijo made a diving play on a grounder at short and threw out the runner at first with no problem.
How It Happened
Arkansas wasted no time in the first. Reagan Johnson singled up the middle before Hannah Gammill doubled to right center to propel Johnson to third. In her second straight plate appearance, Rylin Hedgecock jacked a three-run shot to left to give Arkansas an early 3-0 lead.
The Razorbacks scored again in the second via Gammill’s two-RBI single up the middle to score freshman Atalyia Rijo and sophomore Raigan Kramer, putting Arkansas up 5-0.
The freshmen came through in the fifth. Rylee Cloud’s RBI double to left center allowed Chelsi Possage to cross home. Following Cloud, Hannah Camenzind popped a single to second that pushed a torching Cloud home from second and stretch the lead to 7-0.
Up Next
In the culminating matchup of the Razorback Invitational, Arkansas and Drake duel again at 11 a.m. CT at Bogle Park. No live stream will be available. For more schedule updates, go to ArkansasRazorbacks.com, or follow @RazorbackSB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
