Arkansas comes up short against No. 15 LSU

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas softball team fell to No. 15 LSU 4-0 and 8-6 in an eight-inning battle that came down to the wire. The Lady Razorbacks are now 33-24 overall and 6-18 in the Southeastern Conference, while the Tigers move to 37-14 and 14-10 in league play. Game two moved into extra innings in the bottom of the seventh. Arkansas entered the half inning up 5-4. Rachel Mitchell walked and moved to third on a single through the right side by Killian Roessner. On the first pitch to Erika Sluss, third-base umpire Jana Tidwell called an illegal pitch which advanced both runners and allowed Mitchell to cross the plate and tie the game at five apiece. Sophomore Brittany Robison launched a solo home run to left field in the top of the eighth to put Arkansas back in the lead by one run. The Lady’Backs loaded the bases with two outs before sophomore Sandra Smith hit what appeared to be her second grand slam home run, but a leaping catch at the left field wall by Jazz Jackson ended the half inning with Arkansas up 6-5. In the bottom of the eighth, LSU’s Shannon Stein hit a walk-off three-run home run to seal a series win over the Lady’Backs. “The young ladies went out there and played their hearts out and we came up short,” said head coach Jamie Pinkerton. “When you’re in a must-win situation, there’s not much you can tell them after that. They gave it all they had.” LSU plated four runs on four hits and one Arkansas error in the bottom of the fourth before Arkansas exploded in the top of the fifth. Robison led off with a single to left field and moved to second on an infield single by sophomore Jessica Bachkora. Junior Kayla Johnson reached on an error to load the bases before Smith laced a two-run double down the left field line. With runners on second and third and two outs, senior Dayna Huckabee came through with a single to left field that plated pinch runners Brandy Baze and Brandy Foust and put Arkansas up 5-4. In the first game, LSU put one run on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first behind three consecutive singles. Dee Dee Henderson led off with a base hit up the middle and stole second base. A single through the left side by Stein advanced Henderson to third before Mitchell singled through the right side to plate Henderson. Bachkora tripled with two outs in the third inning to put the first Arkansas base runner in scoring position and the Lady’Backs loaded the bases on two outs in the fifth, but LSU pitcher Cody Trahan and a steadfast Tiger defense keep the Lady’Backs off the scoreboard. LSU led by just one run until Quinlan Duhon and Roessner hit back-to-back home runs in the sixth inning to put the Tigers up 4-0. Trahan (14-4) earned both wins in the circle. She struck out 10 and gave up four hits in a complete-game shutout in game one. Henry (16-12) was charged with both losses. The Lady’Backs tallied 12 hits in the doubleheader, but also left 17 runners on base. Arkansas looks to salvage a win in the final game of the series on Sunday at 1 p.m. For more information about Arkansas softball, please log on to LADYBACKS.COM.