Razorbacks host Arkansas Invite

FAYETTEVILLE— The Arkansas softball team will host the second of two non-conference tournaments at Bogle Park with the Arkansas Invitational, Saturday and Sunday. The Razorbacks (11-8) will welcome teams from Louisiana Tech, Southeast Missouri State and Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.

“So far with this team, I really think we can beat anyone on our schedule if we bring our “A” game,” Arkansas coach Mike Larabee said. “And on the other hand, it we don’t come ready to play any one of these three teams can knock us off. So hopefully we are getting to the point where SEC is about to start, so we need to be playing at a high level.”

The Arkansas softball team went 3-2 at the Razorback Invitational at Bogle Park last weekend. The Razorbacks picked up wins over Eastern Illinois, Drake and Southern Mississippi, while hitting .252 as a team through the three-day tournament. Senior Sandra Smith paced the Razorbacks with a .467 (7-for-15) average, a double and two RBIs. The Razorbacks staff ERA was 0.82 and the hurlers struck out 29 while issuing only four walks.

“I thought the real highlight of the weekend was our pitching staff,” Larabee said. “And that was an area coming into the season, I was worried about. Our pitchers are doing a real good job of keeping us in the ballgame and in fast-pitch softball that is one area that needs to be constant for a team to be successful.”

In the opening game of the tournament, the Razorbacks will play Louisiana Tech with first pitch scheduled for 4 p.m. Arkansas will then take on Southeast Missouri State at 6:30 p.m.

On the second day of the event, Arkansas will play Southern Illinois-Edwardsville at 11 a.m. A third-place game is scheduled for 1 p.m. followed by the first-place game at 3 p.m.

Arkansas will face three teams this weekend at Bogle Park that it has played a total of three games against in program history.

The Razorbacks lead the all-time series with Louisiana Tech 2-1 following a doubleheader sweep of the Lady Techsters in 2007 at Sherwood, Ark. This season, Louisiana Tech is 9-6 and led offensively by first baseman Amberly Waits with a .467 average, 12 RBIs and four home runs.

Saturday’s meeting will be the first between Arkansas and Southeast Missouri State. The Redhawks are 5-8 thus far in the season after splitting a pair of midweek contests. Infielder Nicole Troncoso leads the team with a .333 average and 6 RBIs.

Arkansas will wrap up the tournament with another first-time meeting, this one against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville. The Cougars have a record of 11-10 this season. First baseman Whitney Davis leads the team with a .356 average, 21 hits and 11 RBIs while third baseman Lauren Zembruski’s three home runs are tops on the squad.

All Arkansas games will be broadcast on ArkansasRazorbacks.com.

Download: Arkansas Invitational.pdf