TAT: Razorbacks Take Third Place at Arkansas Invitational

This article originally appeared online on February 25, 2013 on The Arkansas Traveler website (uatrav.com).

The Arkansas softball team rebounded after an extra inning loss to ULM in the semifinals of the Arkansas Invitational by defeating St. Louis 8-0 in six innings in the consolation game.

Arkansas led ULM 6-0 after two innings in the first game Sunday, but couldn’t score another run. They ended up losing 7-6 in eight innings.

However, in the second game Sunday, the Razorbacks clinched third place in the Arkansas Invitational by scoring eight runs on 10 hits. The third inning was their only scoreless inning.

“There’s a couple ways you can come back,” UA head coach Mike Larabee said. “You can feel sorry for yourself, or you can come back and take care of business. I really love the way our team responded.”

In the pitcher’s circle, senior Chelsea Cohen struck out 13 of the 22 batters she faced, setting a career high for strikeouts in a game. Her strikeout total was just three shy of tying Heather Schlichtman’s UA record of 16, which was set in 2004.

In six innings of work, Cohen didn’t allow a run and only gave up three hits.

“I thought (Cohen) was spot on,” Larabee said. “She got ahead (in the count) and that’s what we’ve been stressing to our pitchers.”

Offensively, the Razorbacks were led by sophomore Sierra Bronkey, who moved from the seven spot in the lineup to the two spot, in place of freshman Stephanie Canfield. Canfield suffered a leg injury in the second game Saturday.

Bronkey went 4-for-4, including a two-RBI double in the sixth inning to clinch third place.

“(Bronkey) had four good quality at bats,” Larabee said. “With Canfield out, we thought she’d be a good candidate for the two spot and she came up big.”

The Razorbacks were also aided by sophomore Devon Wallace, who continued her hot hitting by going 1-for-2 and also getting a walk. She finished the tournament 8-for-12 with two home runs, two doubles, four RBI, eight walks and two stolen bases.

She is now batting .457 this season and leads the Southeastern Conference with 19 walks.

“She’s phenomenal,” Larabee said. “Last year we didn’t have a lot around her, but this year the bottom of our order is really (good) and we’re generating a lot more runs.”

Arkansas finished the tournament 4-1, winning by run rule in all four games and losing in extra innings in their lone loss, and improved their season record to 12-5. They outscored their opponents 44-10.

The Razorbacks’ next game is 3 p.m. Friday against Wright State in the first game of the Woo Pig Classic at Bogle Park.

TAT: Arkansas Errors Lead to Victory for Warhawks

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.

TAT: No. 1 Arkansas Looks to Defend SEC Title

This article originally appeared online on February 20, 2013 on The Arkansas Traveler website (uatrav.com).

The Arkansas men’s track and field team is set to defend its Southeastern Conference Indoor Championship this weekend.

They have won five consecutive indoor conference championships and 18 of 20 since joining the SEC in 1992.

“We want to keep it going. We pride ourselves in having a winning culture,” head coach Chris Bucknam said. “We look good on paper, but now it’s time to perform.”

Going into the meet, the Razorbacks are No. 1 in the country, 83.82 points and 126.4 points ahead of SEC foes No. 2 Florida and No. 3 Texas A&M, respectively.

Despite this large lead in the national rankings, Bucknam said he knows that doesn’t matter in the conference meet.

“(Texas A&M and Florida) are elite programs. Florida has great depth in some areas and Texas A&M is the same way,” Bucknam said. “We expect a tight battle.”

The Razorbacks will be favored in the seven events they own the top mark in the conference for this season. In the 800-meter, they own six of the top eight times in the SEC, including the top four. This is a “good problem” for Arkansas, Bucknam said.

“We are happy with our depth,” Bucknam said. “Unfortunately, we have a 27-man limit for our entries.”

Senior Tarik Batchelor is tied with Florida senior Omar Craddock for the NCAA lead in the triple jump this season with a distance 53-9.

In the 60-meter hurdles, senior Caleb Cross is tied with Florida junior Eddie Lovett for the second fastest time in the NCAA, with a time of 7.65 seconds.

The SEC also holds the top five distances in the long jump this season. Arkansas junior Raymond Higgs and freshman Jarrion Lawson own the No. 2 and No. 4 distances, respectively, while Florida sophomore Marquis Dendy owns the No. 1 distance.

“To win in this league, you need the guys that can go out there and perform at a national level,” Bucknam said.

The addition of Texas A&M into the SEC will add even more competition to the conference meet, as they have won three indoor national championships in their history.

“(Having Texas A&M) throws a whole new ambiance to the tournament,” Bucknam said. “They’re a big addition.”

Another side effect of Texas A&M and Missouri joining the conference is that there are more teams competing for the same number of points. This will cause the winning point total to “shrink a little,” Bucknam said.

The meet begins at 1 p.m. Friday with the men’s heptathlon at the Randal Tyson Track Center. It continues Saturday and ends Sunday.

TAT: No. 3 Arkansas Set to Battle for SEC Championship

This article originally appeared online on February 20, 2013 on The Arkansas Traveler website (uatrav.com).

The Southeastern Conference Women’s Indoor Track & Field Championship will likely come down between three teams, head coach Lance Harter said.

LSU, Arkansas and Florida are all “balanced” teams, Harter said, and should finish near the top of the meet. At No. 1, No. 3 and No. 6, respectively, they are three of the five SEC teams ranked in the top ten in the country. No. 7 Georgia and No. 9 Texas A&M are the other two.

“(The SEC) is loaded as usual,” Harter said. “It shows that the SEC is the superpower in indoor track.”

The Razorbacks lead the conference in four different events, including the pentathlon, with a 4,464-point performance by senior Makeba Alcide. The pentathlon is the first women’s event of the meet, taking place tomorrow.

“We’d love for (Alcide) to get the momentum going,” Harter said. “She’s no secret now, so she has to go in and win it.”

Arkansas also has the best times in the conference in the 400-meter, 5,000 and distance medley.

Senior Regina George’s 51.67 second time in the 400 is the best in the NCAA this season and she is the favorite in that event this weekend.

However, Harter said he thinks it will be a battle between George, Georgia freshman Shaunae Miller and Florida juniors Ebony Eutsey and Lanie Whittaker, who have times of 52.96 seconds, 52.89 seconds and 53.26 seconds, respectively.

LSU senior sprinter Kim Duncan will be favored in the 60 and 200, in which she has the best times in the conference this season.

In the distance races, Arkansas will run sophomores Diane Robinson and Dominique Scott in both the 3,000 and 5,000 races. Robinson has the best 5,000 time in the SEC this season and will be favored this weekend.

“The SEC has always been labeled a sprint and jump conference, but now the distances have filled out,” Harter said. “They all have national implications.”

Texas A&M and Missouri will be making their SEC Indoor

Championship debuts, after joining the SEC last summer. Harter said he thinks these additions could help the Razorbacks in winning the conference title.

“I think (Texas A&M) will help us a little bit,” Harter said. “They’re a sprint power and they could come in and dilute some of LSU and Florida’s sprint points.”

Their presence will also lower the winning point total, as there are more teams competing for the same number of points. Instead of the traditional “140 or 150 points” needed to win, the “magic number” is 110 points this year, Harter said.

While Harter said he thinks Arkansas, LSU and Florida will be “very tough to handle,” he also said the championship is a possibility for several of the teams.

“The conference is becoming more and more polarizing,” Harter said. “There’s going to be teams in the top half vying for a title, and then there’s the teams trying to figure out how to get there.”