@RazorbackSB Falls to No. 4 Alabama in Series Opener

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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Sophomore Jessica Harrison improved her hitting streak to seven games, but the University of Arkansas softball team came up short in the series opener against No. 4 Alabama, losing 9-1 Friday evening at Bogle Park. The Razorbacks (16-35, 1-21 SEC) will look to even up the series in game two Saturday night at 8 p.m. Saturday’s game will be televised nationally on ESPNU.

After Alabama’s first three batters of the game reached and tagged two runs on starter Grace Moll, Arkansas answered back in the bottom of the first.  With two outs, Canfield singled up the middle to keep the inning alive. Canfield then stole second, her first of two swipes on the evening, and raced around to score as sophomore Jessica Harrison hustled out an infield single. Harrison’s hit upped her season-long hitting streak to seven games and she has also recorded an RBI in six-straight contests. In the team’s last six games overall, Harrison is responsible for nine RBIs while batting .571.

Arkansas cut Alabama’s lead to 2-1 after one inning and Moll provided a 1-2-3 shutdown frame in the second to keep the momentum with the Razorbacks.

The turning point in the game came in the top of the third inning. With two runners on base for Alabama, two outs and a 1-2 count on the batter, the Tide’s Leona Lafaele took the next pitch over the wall in left putting Alabama in front 5-1.

Canfield recorded her second hit of the game in the sixth inning, good for her 11th multi-hit game of the season. She also stole her second base of the game in the sixth, her fourth stolen base in the last five games.

Sophomore Sydney Wright – making her 43rd appearance of the season – entered in relief of Moll (1-8) in the fifth inning, closing out the game’s final 2.2 innings while giving up just one hit and one unearned run.