Seventh-Inning Rally Comes Up One Run Short
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Down to its final three outs, the No. 20 University of Arkansas softball team pieced together a rally but fell a run short in a 2-1 loss Friday evening to 12th-ranked South Carolina. Senior Autumn Buczek registered the RBI single in the seventh. Tori Cooper and Kayla Green each had two hits in the game. With the setback, the Razorbacks drop to 28-7 overall and 5-5 in SEC play.
Up Next
Due to rain in Saturday’s forecast, the series will conclude with a doubleheader Sunday. First pitch of the twin bill is set for 12 p.m. (CT) with the series finale to follow. Arkansas’ next home game is Friday, April 13 for the opener of its three-game set with No. 15 Alabama.
Final: #12/11 South Carolina 2, #20/21 Arkansas 1 | Box Score
After a quiet first inning for both teams, the Razorbacks put together a two-out threat in the second. Green singled to left for the first hit of the game for either team. Cooper followed with a double down the line in right to put two in scoring position but SC starter Cayla Drotar got a strikeout to end the Razorbacks’ scoring chance.
Arkansas’ next threat came in the top of the fourth inning, once again with Green at the plate and two outs. The freshman catcher knocked a triple off the wall in right field and stood at third with the first three-base hit of her career. Cooper grounded a ball to deep shortstop and on a close play at first, was called out to strand the runner at third.
Making her 16th start of the year, Autumn Storms allowed just one walk through the first three frames before South Carolina (32-6, 7-3 SEC) loaded the bases with three-consecutive hits to start the bottom of the fourth. With the help of a 1-2-3 double play and an outfield assist from Cooper, Storms limited the damage to one run on an RBI single by Jana Johns. The home team added an unearned run in the fifth inning to push its lead to two.
Freshman Mary Haff worked 1.2 innings of relief and tallied four strikeouts to keep the Razorbacks within striking distance. Cooper started the rally with a one-out infield single and after a base hit by A.J. Belans, Arkansas had runners on first and second. Buczek poked a two-out single through the infield to plate pinch runner Sydney Parr from second and cut the deficit in half. But the home team secured the series opener with a ground ball to second for the final out.
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