Arkansas blanked by No. 9 Tennessee

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – After more than four hours of a rain delay, the Razorback softball team fell behind early and couldn’t make up the difference in a 9-0 defeat to No. 9 Tennessee in five innings. Game two of the scheduled doubleheader was cancelled as no weeknight game can begin after 9 p.m. (CT). Arkansas (18-11, 7-2) only managed three hits and the loss snaps a personal eight-game winning streak by Miranda Dixon.“Something was missing tonight,” head coach Jamie Pinkerton said. “It was a bad night and I don’t know what it is, but this isn’t how we’ve been playing the first couple weeks of conference play. Now we’ve got to overcome that and come back this weekend against Ole Miss.”The Lady Vols struck early with a four-run first inning. Dixon opened the game by striking out Kelly Grieve, but hit the next batter, Lillian Hammond, to allow the first base runner of the evening. Hammond stole second and came around to score on a double by Tiffany Huff. Dixon walked the next two to load the bases before Jen Lapicki knocked a three-run double to left center to give Tennessee a 4-0 lead.Two more runs crossed the plate for the home team in the third. After an error on a fielder’s choice at second and a walk, the bases were loaded again. Nicole Kajitani and Ashley Andrews drove in the runs with a pair of singles. Dixon got Grieve to foul out to Sandra Smith at first to end the inning.Tori Mort got on to start the Razorback half of the fourth on a two-base error by Kajitani. Tennessee starter Cat Hosfield responded by striking out Whitney Cloer and getting Kayla Johnson and Dixon to ground out to get out of the inning without allowing a run.The final blow came in the bottom of the fourth when Jessica Spigner hit a three-run shot to left field for the 9-0 tally. Hammond singled to start the inning and Huff walked before Spigner’s home run. Kim Jones came on in relief to record the final three outs in order.Arkansas started a brief rally in their half of the fifth. Hubbard led off the inning with an infield single and Brittany Robison doubled to right center to give the Razorbacks runners on second and third with no outs. On a wild pitch, Hubbard tried to score but Lapicki was able to get the ball back in to Hosfield, covering home, to record the out. Sandra Smith struck out and Brittany Griffiths grounded out to third to the inning and the game.With the cancellation of game two, the Razorbacks now turn their attention to a weekend series in Oxford, Miss., against Ole Miss. Saturday’s doubleheader is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start. Live stats and a radio broadcast will be available at ArkansasRazorbacks.com.

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