Sunday Win Completes Weekend Sweep
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas softball team completed a weekend sweep of its home-opening Wooo Pig Classic with an 8-1 win over IUPUI Sunday afternoon at Bogle Park. The Razorbacks have now won nine-straight games and improve to 17-1 through the first four weekends of season. Senior Nicole Schroeder added to her NCAA-leading total with her 12th home run while freshman Autumn Storms collected her seventh win of the year.
Final: Arkansas 8, IUPUI 1 | Box Score
After going scoreless in the first, the Razorbacks scored at least one run in each of the remaining innings including two runs in the third and a three spot in the fifth. Schroeder drew a two-out walk in the second and scored from first on an RBI triple off the bat of Tori Cooper, her second three-base hit in as many games. Ashley Diaz followed with a hot shot up the middle that the IUPUI pitcher knocked down but Cooper was still able to score.
In the fifth, Autumn Russell kept a rally alive with a two-out infield single that brought Haydi Bugarin home from third. A wild pitch allowed Madison Yannetti to slide home safely and senior Stephanie Canfield capped the scoring in the inning with an RBI single to center which plated Russell. Leading off the sixth, Schroeder padded the Razorbacks’ advantage with a solo shot to center, her third homerun of the tournament.
IUPUI (5-15) scored the first run of the game in the opening inning but Storms responded by retiring 16 of the final 18 hitters she faced including a stretch of 12 straight. She allowed just the one run on four hits to go along with a pair of strikeouts in six innings of work. Fellow freshman Caroline Hedgcock pitched a perfect seventh inning to preserve the win.
A.J. Belans was 3-for-4 at the plate with a run scored and was one of four Arkansas hitters with multi-hit performances along with Diaz, Russell and Schroeder. Defensively, Russell also registered eight putouts from third base. With Sunday’s showing against the Jaguars, Arkansas’ offense has scored eight or more runs in 10 of 18 games this season.
2017 Wooo Pig Classic: Arkansas (5-0), Lamar (2-3), Nebraska (2-3), IUPUI (1-4)
Friday, March 3
IUPUI def. Nebraska, 9-1 (6)
Lamar def. IUPUI, 11-1 (5)
Arkansas def. Nebraska, 2-0
Arkansas def. Lamar, 11-3 (5)
Saturday, March 4
Nebraska def. IUPUI, 6-1
Nebraska def. Lamar, 8-6
Arkansas def. IUPUI, 7-2
Arkansas def. Lamar, 9-4
Sunday, March 5
Lamar def. Nebraska, 10-9
Arkansas def. IUPUI, 8-1
Up Next
Arkansas returns to its home park Tuesday afternoon for a doubleheader against UMKC. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. (CT) at Bogle Park. General admission for all home games is free. The Razorbacks open conference play next weekend at ninth-ranked Alabama. Arkansas’ SEC home opener is set for March 17-19 against No. 15 Tennessee.
For more information about Arkansas softball, follow @RazorbackSB on Twitter.
