Lady'Back softball ends 2007 season

STARKVILLE, MISS. – The University of Arkansas softball team fell to Mississippi State by a score of 8-0 in its final game of the 2007 season. The Lady Razorbacks ended their season 21-43 overall and 6-22 in the Southeastern Conference. The Bulldogs won the SEC series and improved their record to 34-24 and 14-14 in league play. Arkansas collected just two hits on the day, from junior Dayna Huckabee and freshman Brittany Robison, compared to seven hits from Mississippi State. The Lady’Backs also committed two errors to the Bulldogs one. “Our defensive woes reared their ugly head today,” said head coach Jamie Pinkerton. “We gave Mississippi State too many chances.” The Bulldogs got extra chances and plated seven of its eight runs in an explosive second inning. Blair Hewett singled up the middle with the bases loaded to score Katie Cooley and Sammie Jo Bailey, who both singled to lead off the inning. Katie Johnson reached on an error and later scored on another error to put the Bulldogs up 3-0. With the bases still loaded, Courtney Bures then hit a grand-slam home run to left center to make the score 7-0. Sammie Jo Bailey added a solo home run in the third to give Mississippi State a five-inning, run-rule victory. Arkansas threw three pitchers in the contest, but starter Miranda Dixon earned the loss. Kelli Miller got her 17th win of the season allowing just two hits in a complete-game shutout. Senior Rachel LeMaster played her last game as a Lady’Back and along with being the career record holder for stolen bases, she is second on the career hits list. “Thanks to Rachel, she was a good leader,” said Pinkerton. “We just didn’t have the experience to get to our goal this year.” The Lady’Backs will welcome eight newcomers in the fall and look forward to a productive off season. “Next year we’ll have a good mix of upperclassmen and lowerclassmen and it will really be the first time since I’ve been at Arkansas that some leadership skills should take over,” said Pinkerton. “We won’t be young anymore. We just have to go into the off season, work hard and be productive.” For more information about Arkansas softball, please log on to LADYBACKS.COM.