COLLEGE SOFTBALL : Lady Razorbacks advance to round 2

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Northwest Edition

Posted on Saturday, May 17, 2008

URL: http://www.wholehogsports.com/adg/225997/

NORMAN, Okla. — Arkansas scored four runs in the sixth inning Friday to defeat Tulsa 7-5 in their NCAA regional game at Oklahoma Softball Complex.

The Lady Razorbacks (37-27 ) will play Oregon or Oklahoma at 1 p. m. today in the second round of the tournament.

“I was real pleased with the way we came out, with the intensity and the enthusiasm,” Arkansas Coach Jamie Pinkerton. “We knew we were going to be in for a battle, and we were able to overcome two-run and three-run homers.”

Trailing 5-3 in the sixth inning, junior Whitney Cloer led off the bottom of the inning with a home run to left field. Senior Dayna Huckabee followed with a single through the left side that chased starting pitcher Jordan Kinard.

Senior Samantha Buckner drew a walk against Jackie Lawrence before Brittany Robison collected her fourth RBI of the game with a one-run single through the left side that drove in Huckabee. Another walk by Jessica Bachkora loaded the bases, then Kayla Johnson came through with a single to left-center that scored pinch-runner Hillary Freeman and Robison for the 7-5 lead.

“Whitney came up with a big shot to start off the sixth,” Pinkerton said. “We’re the type of ball club that when we have an opportunity and get on a roll, we score in bunches.”

Robison launched a three-run home run to left field that gave Arkansas a 3-0 lead in the second, but Sara Dyer hit a two-run shot to left-center to pull Tulsa within 3-2. Lauren Lindsay hit a three-run home run to left center in the fifth to put Tulsa ahead 5-3.

Senior Katy Henry earned her 20 th victory for the Lady Razorbacks. Lawrence (13-10 ) took the loss.