Lady'Back hurlers combine for 25 K's Arkansas goes 1-1

COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS – The University of Arkansas softball team got an 8-0 win against the University of Texas-San Antonio and fell to No. 3 Texas A&M, 4-1 on the first day of the Texas A&M Aggie Classic in College Station, Texas. Lady Razorback pitchers Katy Henry and Miranda Dixon combined for 25 strikeouts on the day. Henry tied her career-high strikeouts for a single game with 15, while Dixon set a career record with 10. “I feel comfortable with our pitching staff and I’m really pleased with the way they’re throwing,” said head coach Jamie Pinkerton. “With that many strikeouts it takes a lot of strikeout the pressure off of your defense and if those two throw like they did tonight, we’re going to be successful.” In game one, a home run by junior Dayna Huckabee and a single-game record five stolen bases helped lift the Lady’Backs over Texas-San Antonio 8-0. Huckabee homered to left center with two outs in the fifth inning, marking her first home run of the season and seventh of her career. Two stolen bases by senior Rachel LeMaster one by freshman Jessica Bachkora, sophomore Whitney Cloer and junior Samantha Buckner marked the new Lady’Back record for most stolen bases in a single game with five. Henry held the Roadrunners scoreless and struck out 15 batters, tying her career-high strikeouts in a single game. She allowed five hits and walked just one batter. Three singles and four stolen bases in the second inning got the Lady’Backs off to a 3-0 lead. Huckabee singled up the middle and was moved to second on a single through the left side by freshman Jessica Bachkora. After Huckabee and Bachkora advanced one base on a wild pitch, sophomore Whitney Cloer singled to drive home Huckabee from third. In the first and third situation, Cloer stole second base drawing the throw from the Roadrunner catcher which allowed Bachkora to slide under the tag at home for another Lady’Back run. Junior Samantha Buckner then singled down the third base line to score in Cloer. “I liked that we came out with intensity and focus in the first game,” said Pinkerton. “We hit the ball better and with runners in scoring positions, which was key. I was happy with the run support Katy got.” In the third inning, Dixon added another run scoring from second base on an RBI single up the middle from Bachkora. Dixon reached second on a single through the left side and a wild pitch. A lead-off single by Johnson in the top of the seventh inning got the ball rolling again for two more Lady’Back runs and a final 8-0 score. Johnson scored on a wild pitch and Dixon, who singled through the left side, scored on a ground out by Bachkora. Bachkora went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs. Dixon and Huckabee were both 2-for-4. UTSA fell to 2-5 as Arkansas improved to 2-4. Against the third-ranked Texas A&M Aggies, Texas A&M got off to a 2-0 lead in the first inning after two consecutive Lady’Back errors permitted two unearned Aggie runs. In the bottom of the fifth, Buckner got one run back with a two-out solo home run. She waited on a changeup, smacking a line-drive over the left-center fence. The home run was the third of Buckner’s career. Two additional Lady’Back errors and an illegal pitch with a runner on third base gave the Aggies two unearned runs in the top of the seventh for a 4-1 lead and final score. Dixon started on the mound for the Lady’Backs striking out a career-high 10 batters, allowing just three hits and walking none. “Today was probably the most vocal and involved crowd I’ve coached in front of in 13 years and I was real proud of how Miranda and the team handled that,” said Pinkerton. “I think we were a little nervous and taken back by the atmosphere in the first inning, but we collected ourselves and played well. To have Miranda go out as a freshman in her third start and hold a very powerful offensive team to three hits was great.” Arkansas faced Texas A&M pitcher Amanda Scarborough, the USA Softball National Player of the Week and Big 12 Pitcher of the Week. Scarborough had a career-high 12 strikeouts in the win and held the Lady’Backs to just one hit, Buckner’s home run. Arkansas is now 2-5, while Texas A&M keeps their record perfect at 6-0. Tomorrow the Lady’Backs take on UTSA at 10:00 a.m. and get another shot at Texas A&M at 4:45 p.m. For more information about Arkansas softball, please log on to LADYBACKS.COM.