UA’s hits go longer to take down UCA

NO. 19 ARKANSAS 4, CENTRAL ARKANSAS 1

CONWAY — The No. 19 University of Arkansas softball team made the most of three hits as part of a historic in-state matchup Tuesday night at Farris Field.

The Razorbacks, who rank second in the country in home runs, hit a pair of long balls, and Mary Haff struck out 11 as Arkansas defeated the University of Central Arkansas 4-1.

Arkansas (17-2) snapped the Bears’ nine-game winning streak while extending their own to 16 games in the first meeting ever between the two teams with 755 fans in the stands.

First baseman Danielle Gibson crushed a two-run home run in the top of the first to give the Razorbacks all the runs they would need. Her ninth home run of the season came after Braxton Burnside was hit by a pitch.

UCA senior Kaylyn Shepherd countered in the bottom of the inning with a solo shot, her third of the season, to cut the lead in half. The Bears (12-8) wouldn’t score again against Haff.

The junior scattered 8 hits — including 7 singles — struck out 11 and walked only 1 in pitching a complete

game to pick her nation’s best 10th victory.

The significance of the game wasn’t lost on Arkansas Coach Courtney Deifel.

“It’s huge to be able to play in-state schools, huge for softball and huge for the state,” Deifel said. “The atmosphere was incredible.

“We won the freebie war and made the most of our three hits. It wasn’t our best offensive performance, but we did enough to get the win. Mary did a good job of staying the course and making really big pitches in big moments.”

UCA Coach David Kuhn said his team couldn’t take advantage of its scoring chances against Haff (10-1).

“You can’t defense home runs and walks,” Kuhn said. “That’s just part of the game. It’s pretty good to hold them down to four runs. We just left too many on base. We had a lot of strikeouts and not very good at-bats with runners on base.

“But Mary Haff is a really good pitcher.”

Freshman Hannah Gammill added to the Arkansas lead with an RBI double in the second inning, and Linnie Malkin connected on her seventh home run of the season in the sixth to set the final score.

Reagan Sperling and Tylar Vernon led UCA with two hits each.

Trailing 3-1, the Bears had a scoring chance in the fifth as Jenna Wildeman, a Bentonville graduate, drew a leadoff walk and stole second. Third baseman Cylia Hill then beat out an infield single to the shortstop, and Wildeman tried to score. Gibson threw her out at the plate to end the inning.

Deifel said it was no surprise the Bears played the Razorbacks tough.

“They were scrappy offensively like we knew they’d be,” Deifel said. “They had eight hits, which is not typical off Mary. Three of them were infield hits, but they run well and forced us to make plays.”

The two runs in the top of the first were a big tone-setter, said Deifel.

“I thought it was huge to jump out early,” she said. “If they’re worried about how we hit the long ball, it hits a little harder to give up a freebie. It’s one thing to give up solo shots.”

Kuhn praised the work of his pitchers Jordan Johnson and Rio Sanchez. Johnson (3-4) took the loss, allowing 4 runs on 3 hits over 51/3 innings. She struck out 6, walked 2 and hit 2 batters.

“I’d put our [top] three pitchers up against anybody,” Kuhn said. “Arkansas, their one through five or one through six in their lineup is just unreal.”

The Bears will travel to Fayetteville for a return trip April 20 at Bogle Park. Arkansas opens SEC play this weekend at South Carolina.