This article originally appeared in the February 25, 2013 issue of The Arkansas Traveler.
The Razorback softball team rode a strong offensive effort to
start the Arkansas Invitational 3-0, but fell to ULM 7-6 in eight innings in
the semifinal game.
Arkansas jumped out to a 6-0 lead after two innings but failed
to score for the rest of the game.
ULM was helped by six Arkansas fielding errors, including three
in the sixth inning that led to the game-tying runs. They took the lead in the
top of the eighth when sophomore Alexis Cacioppo hit a home run that proved to
be the game winner.
Junior Jennifer Rambo hit a two-run home run in the first inning
as part of six earned runs given up by ULM junior pitcher Stephanie Routzon in
1.1 innings. When ULM sophomore Haylie Wilson came in to pitch in relief, she
gave up no runs in 6.2 innings to improve to 2-4 on the season.
Arkansas pitchers combined to give up seven runs, five of them
earned, on 11 hits and four walks. Senior Chelsea Cohen took the loss.
In pool play, Arkansas beat ULM, Murray State and St. Louis
14-3, 8-0 and 8-0, respectively. All three games ended with run rules, with the
ULM game ending after five innings and the Murray State and St. Louis games
ending after six innings.
Against ULM Friday, the Razorbacks started the tournament with a
nine-run first inning. During the inning, they hit for the cycle as a team,
with five singles, a double, a triple and two home runs.
Freshman Nicole Schroeder hit the first home run of the game
when she hit a grand slam to centerfield. Sophomore Devon Wallace followed her
leadoff double with a two-run home run in her second at bat in the first
inning.
Junior Chloe Oprzedek hit an RBI triple in the first inning and
added a grand slam in the fourth, to finish 2-for-3 with five RBI.
In the pitcher’s circle, senior Chelsea Cohen gave up three runs
on five hits in five innings. She also walked three batters and collected a
season-high 10 strikeouts to improve to 4-1 on the season.
Despite not scoring in the first three innings of their second
game of the tournament, Arkansas scored eight runs in the fourth through sixth
innings, to run-rule Murray State.
Freshman Stephanie Canfield led the Razorbacks at the plate,
going 4-for-4 with four RBI, including her first home run of the season.
Oprzedek and junior Jayme Gee added a pair of doubles each and two and one RBI,
respectively.
Murray State was held to only four hits, as senior Hope McLemore
picked up her second win of the season. She struck out six batters and walked
three.
In the third game of the tournament, the Razorbacks used nine
hits and four St. Louis errors to score eight runs.
Wallace hit her fourth home run of the season, and second of the
tournament, to lead off the game and the Razorbacks never looked back. Aided by
two errors, they added four runs in the second inning and Schroeder hit her
second home run of the tournament in the fifth inning.
Also in the fifth inning, junior Clarisa Navarro flashed her
speed by advancing from first to third on a sacrifice bunt.
Freshman Kelly Young was credited with the win, improving to 3-0
on the season. She pitched four innings, gave up one hit, three walks and
recorded two strikeouts, before Cohen came in to pitch the final two innings.
She gave up one hit and struck out two batters.
During the game, Canfield had to be helped off the field with a
leg injury after running out a single in the second inning. She was 7-for-8 for
the weekend at the time of the injury.
The
Razorbacks faced St. Louis in the consolation game of the Arkansas
Invitational, but the game did not finish before press time.
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