Seniors honored in regular season finale at Bogle

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – On a wet day at Bogle Park, the Razorback softball team closed out its regular season Sunday with a pair of losses to No. 9 Georgia. The Bulldogs came away with an 8-0 win in game one before sealing the sweep with an 8-2 victory in the finale. In between the two games, the 2009 Razorback seniors were recognized for their accomplishments and contributions to the Arkansas program during their respective careers.Brandy Baze, Whitney Cloer, Brandy Foust, Hillary Freeman, Amie Hubbard, Kayla Johnson and Jocelyne Moncrief were honored during intermission. The players were joined on the field by their families and received framed jerseys as recognition of their time spent in the Cardinal and White.Georgia plated two in the first inning of game one to take the early lead. Leadoff hitter Taylor Schlopy scored on a sacrifice fly and SEC home run leader Alisa Goler launched a solo shot to right field to give the visitors the 2-0 lead. Goler came through again in the third with a two-run single to push the Bulldog lead to four.The Razorbacks stranded five runners in game one, including a bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the second. Georgia starter Sarah McCloud walked Cloer and Sandra Smith to start the Razorback threat. McCloud was relieved by Christie Hamilton in the middle of a Brittany Griffiths at-bat. After too many warm-up pitches cost the Bulldogs a free pass to Griffiths, Hamilton regrouped to strike out Moncrief to end the inning and leave the bases full of Arkansas runners.Brianna Hesson collected two RBI on a double in the Bulldogs’ three-run fourth inning which gave Georgia the 7-0 advantage. The lead was more than enough as McCloud and Hamilton combined for a no-hitter. An additional run in the top of the fifth gave Georgia the run-rule victory.Field conditions were an issue at the start of game two as a steady drizzle had muddied the playing surface during the course of the morning. The contest was briefly delayed three times over the first inning and a half of game two to allow the field crew to work. When play resumed for good, the Bulldogs continued to carry the momentum by scoring in each of the first four innings of game two. Goler collected the first three RBI with a pair of singles in the first and second innings. Heading into the Razorback half of the fourth, Georgia led, 6-0.In the bottom of the fourth, Arkansas broke through on one swing of the bat by Miranda Dixon. With Cloer on first via a Georgia throwing error, Dixon lifted a ball down the right field line and over the fence for her 11th home run of the season. The two-run shot cut into the deficit but the visitors still held the 6-2 advantage.The game was called in the top of the sixth due to Georgia’s drop deadline to accommodate its travel plans back to Athens. Before the game was stopped, they tacked on two more runs to give the contest its final tally.The Razorbacks end the 2009 regular season with a 27-26 record and despite the loss, Arkansas will travel to Knoxville, Tenn., next week as the No. 7 seed in the SEC Tournament. The Razorbacks will face second-seeded Alabama, the No. 5 team in the country, during Thursday’s first-round action. It will mark the second SEC Tournament appearance for head coach Jamie Pinkerton, and the team’s first since the 2006 season. For more information, log on to ArkansasRazorbacks.com.

Download: Georgia 8, Arkansas 2.pdf