Arkansas softball stays perfect in Paradise with a 7-3 victory over Ohio

BY DUDLEY E. DAWSON

An Arkansas softball team ranked as high as No. 8 nationally kept its record spotless in Paradise on Friday morning.

Reagan Johnson went for 4 for 4 with two runs and two stolen bases and pitcher Morgan Linestock fired six innings of shutout softball as Arkansas downed Ohio 7-3 in  Boca Raton, Fla.

Iowa transfer Nia Carter had two hits and three RBIs, Rylin Hedgecock a pair of hits and RBIs and Raigan Kramer plated twice on on Friday for the Razorbacks (3-0).

Arkansas (3-0), who had 10 hits for the second time this season,  has outscored Marshall, Florida Atlantic University and Ohio 25-6 in their three games at the Paradise Classic on FAU’s campus.

The Razorbacks have done so without the benefit of a home run.

The Razorbacks will look to start its season 5-0 for the second straight year when it finishes up play in the event with Saturday  games against Penn State (8 a.m.) and Michigan State (10:15 a.m).

Southern Mississippi transfer Leinstock was dominant through the first six innings while allowing just one hit, walking one and fanning seven.

Leinstock did give up a trio of seventh-inning runs, only one of them earned, before Hannah Camenzind relieved and got the final out.

Auburn transfer Bri Ellis, who a trio of doubles and five RBIs in the first three games, got the scoring going again for the the Razorbacks in top of the first with a two-bagger that plated Johnson.

Hedgcock then chased Ellis home with her own RBI to make it 2-0.

Arkansas pushed its advantage to 6-0 with four runs in the second,  a pair coming on Carter’s bases-loaded, two-run single and Hanna Gammill’s sacrifice fly, which was just short of a three-run homer.

Hedgecock capped the second-inning outburst with an RBI single that scored Carter.

Carter’s run-scoring single in the third pushed it to 7-0.

 QUOTES TO BE ADDED LATER