Bases Loaded Rally Falls Short vs North Carolina
AUSTIN, Texas – The University of Arkansas softball team put together a bases-loaded threat in the seventh inning against North Carolina but couldn’t come up with the timely hit in a 5-0 loss Sunday afternoon. Redshirt freshman Lauren Archuleta paced the offense with two hits and a walk. Arkansas (1-4) continues its season Feb. 19-21 at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Palm Springs, Calif.
In a weekend trend for the Razorback offense, the team saved its biggest threat for late in the game with a would-be rally in the seventh inning. With two outs, Lauren Archuleta singled to shallow left field for her second hit of the day. She tallied the first hit of her career with a single in the fifth. Stephanie Canfield was hit by a pitch and Autumn Russell followed with a hit back at the pitcher to load the bases. However, UNC starter Kendra Lynch responded with her third strikeout to end the game.
In the first at-bat of the game, Canfield led things off with her second triple of the weekend. The triple was the 12th of her career, which ties the program record already held by Dayna Huckabee (2005-08). Canfield had at least one hit in each game during the season-opening tournament, and has moved into a tie for 11th place (Navarro, 2010-13) in program history with 173 career hits. At the top of the lineup, both Canfield and Russell reached base in all five games in Austin.
After Canfield was stranded in the top of the inning, North Carolina (2-3) took the lead with three runs in the home half of the first. The first three hitters reached base and all came around to score on a pair of RBI hits and passed ball. Starter Grace Moll worked out of jams in the next two frames until the Tar Heels added two-out runs in the fourth on a two-run single by Lauren Fuller.
In four innings of work, Moll allowed five runs—four earned—on six hits and equaled her season high with four strikeouts. Freshman Peyton Carter had two innings of scoreless relief, retiring all six hitters she faced. Shelby Hiers recorded a pinch-hit single in the sixth inning in her only plate appearance of the day.
Next weekend, the team is scheduled to play New Mexico, George Washington, Binghamton, Army West Point and Central Michigan during the West Coast event. Arkansas’ home opener is set for Feb. 27-28 when it hosts Drake and UMKC for the Razorback Invitational at Bogle Park.
Season tickets are now on sale for $45 through the Razorback Ticket Center. For more information about purchasing season tickets, call 800-982-HOGS (4647) or 479-575-5151, email raztk@uark.edu or visit the Razorback Ticket Center located next to Baum Stadium. For more information about Arkansas softball, follow @RazorbackSB on Twitter.
