Underclassmen Shine, Delce Silences Alabama in Sunday Night Win
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – No. 12 Arkansas (21-8) gritted out a 5-3 victory over No. 13 Alabama (22-7) Sunday night at Rhoads Stadium to even the series. Arkansas has six wins over foes currently ranked inside ESPN.com/USA Softball’s top-25.
The Razorbacks combined for three hits and were issued six walks on the night. Arkansas is 11-0 when they force five or more walks this season.
Seven underclassmen, including five true freshmen, cracked the starting lineup for the Hogs. Freshman Rylee Cloud made her first start at second.
Redshirt senior RHP Chenise Delce (10-4) earned her 10th win of the season after spinning the game’s final 3.0 innings. The Oklahoma City product worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh, dialing up three consecutive strikeouts to secure the victory. Delce silenced the Crimson Tide in the final three frames, allowing one earned run on three hits and striking out five.
Freshman catcher Lauren Camenzind starred for the Razorbacks, finishing 1-for-3 with an RBI. Camenzind came up clutch in the second and blasted an RBI double that peppered off the left field wall to put the Hogs in front 1-0. Camenzind was tremendous behind the dish and applied two flawless tags to keep a pair of Alabama runs off the board. Freshman shortstop Atalyia Rijo finished 1-for-2 and ripped a two-RB single through the right side in the second inning to stretch Arkansas’ lead to 3-0. Junior Cylie Halvorson drove in a run on a sacrifice fly and redshirt junior Rylin Hedgecock accounted for Arkansas’ third hit of the game on a double down the left field line.
Freshman LHP Robyn Herron (6-2) made her ninth start of the season and commanded for 2.0 innings. Striking out two, Herron surrendered two earned runs on two hits and worked around four walks. Herron worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the first. Junior LHP Callie Turner twirled 2.0 innings in relief and limited Alabama to three hits while striking out one.
Sophomore left fielder Raigan Kramer played extraordinarily in left, mowing down two Alabama runners at the plate in the third and fourth frames which shifted the momentum back to the Hogs.
How It Happened
Top 2nd: Halvorson and Kacie Hoffmann reached on back-to-back walks with one out. Camenzind cracked an RBI double to the left field wall to give Arkansas a 1-0 lead. Rijo came up with a big two-RBI single through the right side, putting the Hogs up 3-0.
Bottom 3rd: Alabama cut the deficit to 3-2.
Top 5th: Hedgecock rocketed a leadoff double down the left field line. Gammill’s fly out to deep right advanced Hedgecock to third. Then, Halvorson’s sac fly plated Hedgecock to push the lead to 4-2. Another fielding error resulted in a 5-2 Razorback lead.
Up Next
Arkansas and Alabama battle in a rubber match at 6 p.m. Monday night on SEC Network.
For schedule updates and other news, go to ArkansasRazorbacks.com, or follow @RazorbackSB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
