Arkansas softball roars past TAMU-CC 8-0 on Monday

BY DUDLEY E. DAWSON

After winning its fourth consecutive series at Auburn this past weekend, the No. 20 Arkansas softball program dropped into Texas on Monday afternoon and picked up another win.

Razorback lead off hitter Reagan Johnson raised her batting average to .413 while going 3 for 3 and winning pitcher Hannah Camenzind (7-0) also had two of her team’s 13 hits as Arkansas downed Texas A&M-Commerce 8-0 in five innings.

Arkansas (23-6) was able to get 15 players action on Monday in the run-rule shortened game.

“It was nice to just see them take care of business,” Arkansas head coach Courtney Deifel said after the victory in windy conditions. “Just stayed the course today and when you are playing in this elements, sometimes it takes your game away a little bit and I thought we did a good job of staying composed and showing just the emotional maturity.”

It was Deifel’s 301st win as the Razorback coach after getting her 299th and 300th in a Saturday doubleheader sweep at Auburn.

“To me that is what it meant today, to compete and compete not only against the other team in the other dugout, but just compete to be better every day,” Deifel said.

Cylie Halvorson, Rylin Hedgecock and Kennedy Miller all chipped in two hits each for Arkansas while Bri Ellis and Nia Carter also had a hit apiece.

“I thought they did a great job collectively of just passing the bat,” Deifel said. “I think some of our hardest-hit balls today were outs that just kind of hung up in the wind and we were also the benefactors of a couple of sun balls, which are pretty tough.

“They did a really good job and got the extra base when they could and did a good job of scoring each other and passing the bat.”

Camenzind went the first three innings of the contest on the mound while allowing two hits, walling one and fanning four.

Nikki McGaffin and freshman Kasey Wood each pitched a scoreless inning in the combined four-hit blanking of the Lions (5-26), who have lost 18 straight.

“I thought our pitchers did a really great job and our defense was really great behind them,” Deifel said. “Hannah Camenzind gave us a really great start, just using her mix of speeds and just using her defense.

“To see Nikki come in and do her thing and Kasey doing her thing, it was just really nice to see them combo and our defense to have our backs.”

Arkansas will return to action Friday night at 6 p.m. when it hosts Mississippi State (21-6, 3-3) in the first of a three-game series at Bogle Park.

The Bulldogs beat No. 13 Texas A&M 6-5 on Sunday to avoid a series sweep after previously taking two of three from Ole Miss.

“Today helps us a ton,” Deifel said. “Every time you take the field, you have the opportunity to get better and Commerce makes you come with your best game, especially when you are dealing with win and just needing to find new ways to win.

“The SEC schedule is a grind, but every game is a grind. Every time you take the field, you are playing a tough competitor and it is harder and harder to win. So I am really proud of our team today.” 

Photo by John D. James