Florida pitching tops Hogs
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Arkansas Razorbacks softball team slipped 8-1 to the No. 10/11 Florida Gators on Saturday afternoon in the second game of the three-game weekend series.
The Razorbacks took the initial lead on the game with a quick start by Becca Carden. The senior earned a standing double to the center field wall in the first at bat of the day. Linnea Ketcher took a sacrifice fly, her fourth of the season, to advance Carden before a single by designated player Courtney Breault brought Carden around to plate the first run of the day.
"First of all, I love the way we started off," head coach Mike Larabee said. "There has been few times this year where we have gone off and taken the lead. The double by Becca and the big hit by Courtney, that was promising. We talk about trying to be the team that scores first and force some momentum."
Breault collected her 14th RBI of the season with that single. That is her second RBI in just three games as the sophomore plated the Razorbacks only run against Missouri State on Wednesday, April 6.
The No. 10/11 Florida Gators did not hesitate to answer the Razorback’s run with a few of their own. Three RBI in a row plated three runs to give the Gators a 3-1 lead after just one complete inning.
"From that point on after the three runs from Florida in the first, I thought we just did not make very good adjustments and at the plate, I think we competed a lot better yesterday."
A tough day at the plate for the Razorbacks came about with 12 strikeouts, but Chloe Oprzedek picked up (2) hits on the day with a base hit on a slap hit up the third base line in the second inning. The freshman came back in the Hogs half of the fifth with another base hit to center field.
Carden collected her second hit of the game in the fifth as well with a single up to center just after Oprzedek’s second hit of the day. Carden finished the day 2-for-3 and Oprzedek went 2-for-2 with her two hits.
Senior Kim Jones pitched five innings for the Razorbacks with two strikeouts and five earned runs. Sophomore Chelsea Cohen came in as the relief and closed out the game for Arkansas with one complete inning in the circle. The Razorbacks fall to 10-31 overall and 1-17 in Southeastern Conference play.
The Razorbacks close out the weekend series against the No. 10/11 Gators on Sunday, April 10. The first pitch is set for 12 p.m. at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium.
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