Softball hosts UMKC in season finale

FAYETTEVILLE – The 2011 Razorback softball season concludes with a single-game meeting with Missouri-Kansas City on Thursday, May 5, at 3 p.m. at Bogle Park.

The Kangaroos come into the midweek game with the most wins in program history and boast a 32-14 overall season record. A nine-game win streak follows the ‘Roos to Fayetteville as well as five hitters with above a .300 batting average.

The Razorbacks lead the all-time series against UMKC 6-0. In 2009, the Razorbacks swept the series at Bogle Park and allowed just two runs by the Kangaroos in the double bill. Kaelene Curry leads UMKC with a .390 batting average, but it is Megan Ussary who has the team high 32 RBI this season with a .333 average.

"It would be great to finish off the year on a positive note for our seniors and the rest of our players," Arkansas coach Mike Larabee said. "UMKC has a lot of team speed. They have 124 stolen bases right now, so Jayme Gee is going to like the fact that they are going to try and run on her and I’m sure she is going to take that as a challenge. We are really going to have to come out and play our best to win."

Arkansas is coming off a grueling weekend in Knoxville, Tenn., where the Lady Volunteers swept the Razorbacks in the final Southeastern Conference series of the season. Senior Becca Carden leads the Razorbacks with a .338 batting average and 52 hits this season. Carden has not committed a single fielding error at Bogle Park and has started all but one game at the center field position for the Razorbacks in 2011.

Sophomore Linnea Ketcher leads the Hogs at Bogle Park with a home batting average of .357. She holds the second highest average on the team in the 2011 campaign and the slap hitter has five RBI this season.

The first pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Bogle Park and all fans that bring a ticket stub from the Arkansas baseball game against SEMO will get in free on Thursday.