Washington closes tourney with victory over Arkansas

SOFTBALL

NO. 7 WASHINGTON 10, NO. 9 ARKANSAS 5

No. 7 Washington hit a pair of home runs in a sixrun top of the sixth inning to down No. 9 Arkansas 10-5 in the final game of the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge on Saturday

It was the second loss for Arkansas to Washington in two days in the battle of top10 teams.

The Razorbacks (3-2) led 4-2 after five innings, but the Huskies used the long ball to turn the tables. Third baseman Baylee Klingler hit a grand slam off Arkansas ace Mary Haff (2-1) for a 6-4 advantage. Two batters later, Kinsey Fiedler added a tworun blast off reliever Chenise Delce to push the lead to 8-4.

Danielle Gibson brought

Arkansas within 8-5 with a two-out, RBI-single in the bottom of the sixth. But Washington countered with two more in the top of the seventh.

Huskies ace Gabbie Plain came on in relief in the sixth and gave up Gibson’s run-scoring hit. She retired the Razorbacks in order in the seventh to seal the victory. Plain also picked up the win against Arkansas on Friday, shutting the Razorbacks out on two hits over six innings.

Gibson and Taylor Ellsworth led the Razorbacks offense with two hits and two RBI each. Lead-off hitter K.B. Sides singled, walked three times, scored twice and stole two bases.

Haff took the loss, allowing six runs on eight hits over 5.2 innings. She struck out three and walked four.

Arkansas wiped out a 2-0 deficit with four runs in the bottom of the third. Ellsworth’s two-run double tied the game. Gibson followed with a run-scoring single for a 3-2 lead. The Razorbacks tacked on another run when Audrie LaValley was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

ARKANSAS 10, LONG BEACH STATE 0 (5)

Hannah Gammill hit a three-run home run and drove in four to lead the Razorbacks to the run-rule victory earlier on Saturday.

Arkansas jumped in front 4-0 in the first inning despite not getting a hit. The Razorbacks took advantage of six walks and a hit batsman to score four times in the bottom of the first.

Gammill’s three-run homer in the second pushed the lead to 7-0. Hannah McEwen also added a two-run double.

Gibson and Sam Torres added two hits each for Arkansas. Delce picked up her first win as a Razorback. The Tulsa transfer threw four scoreless innings, allowing just two hits. Callie Turner also pitched a scoreless fifth.