Razorbacks Advance to Fayetteville Regional Final
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The 15th-ranked University of Arkansas softball team secured its spot in the Fayetteville Regional championship with Saturday’s 5-0 win over Wichita State in front of 2,011 fans at Bogle Park. Freshman Mary Haff registered a complete-game shutout while the senior trio of A.J. Belans, Autumn Buczek and Loren Krzysko each tallied two hits in the victory.
The Razorbacks improve to 41-15 overall and 2-0 during the Fayetteville Regional. With her two hits against the Shockers, Buczek now has 184 hits in her Arkansas career which moves her into a tie for 10th on the program’s all-time list.
Up Next
Arkansas will play Wichita State in Sunday’s matchup. WSU beat Oklahoma State, 5-4, in Saturday evening’s elimination game. The Fayetteville Regional final is scheduled for a 1:30 p.m. (CT) start at Bogle Park. This will mark the Razorbacks’ third appearance in an NCAA regional championship and first since back-to-back trips in 2012 and 2013.
FINAL: #15 Arkansas 5, Wichita State 0 | Box Score
Arkansas was held to just one hit—an infield single by Buczek—through the first four innings of the game before the offense generated a pair of runs in the fifth. Leading off the inning, Belans opened the scoring with a solo shot to left field. The home run was her fifth and the team’s 54th big fly of the season. Later in the frame with the base loaded, Hannah McEwen drove in her 54th run of the season with an RBI groundout.
Haff battled through the first three innings, working around three walks to keep Wichita State scoreless. She gave up a one-out single in the fourth but retired the next 11 hitters to complete her 11th complete-game shutout of the season and seventh one-hitter. Haff finished the game with five strikeouts and with the win, improves to 28-6 in the circle.
Playing as the visiting team, the Razorbacks padded their lead with three insurance runs in the top of the seventh frame. In the rally, Buczek lined a two-run single toward first which pushed her name onto Arkansas’ career top-10 list. She is currently tied with Brett Erickson (1997, 99-00) in records book. Buczek also ranks among the program’s top 10 in batting average, runs scored, triples, stolen bases and assists.
NCAA Fayetteville Regional | Tournament Central
Friday, May 18
Game 1: Wichita State 8, Oklahoma State 2
Game 2: Arkansas 2, DePaul 0
Saturday, May 19
Game 3: Arkansas 5, Wichita State 0
Game 4: Oklahoma State 6, DePaul 0
Game 5: Oklahoma State vs Wichita State (H) | 6:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 20
Game 6: Arkansas vs TBA | 1:30 p.m.
Game 7: Arkansas vs TBA | 4 p.m. (if necessary)
For more information about Arkansas Softball, follow @RazorbackSB on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
