April 22, 2012
Auburn, Ala. - The Arkansas Razorbacks prevented a series sweep by the Auburn softball team with a 5-1 victory over the Tigers Sunday afternoon at Jane B. Moore Field.
Auburn dropped to 28-19 overall and 7-15 in the Southeastern Conference. Arkansas improved to 24-21 overall and 5-17 in the SEC.
"Arkansas came out and made things happen today," Auburn head coach Tina Deese said. "They hit the ball well and capitalized off our mistakes. We weren't able to generate much offense and when we did put people on we couldn't drive them in. It was a frustrating loss."
Lauren Schmalz started and took the loss to fall to 8-8. Schmalz allowed two runs, both earned, on four hits with no walks and two strikeouts. Angel Bunner pitched one and one-third innings in relief, allowing three runs, one earned, on three hits with no walks and one strikeout.
Chelsea Cohen started and earned the complete-game win to improve to 13-13. Cohen allowed one run, earned, on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
For the third consecutive day the Razorbacks scored in the first inning. Clarissa Navarro singled with one out. Jennifer Rambo followed with a double off the wall in center, but Navarro was thrown out at home on a perfect relay throw from Lauren Guzman to Elizabeth Eisterhold.
With two outs in the inning, Chloe Oprzedek blooped a single into shallow center that scored Rambo from second for a 1-0 lead for the Razorbacks.
The Razorbacks added to their lead in the top of the third inning. Tori Mort singled to open the inning, which chased Schmalz from the game. Bunner was put in and hit the first batter she faced, Devon Wallace, to put runners at second and first with no outs.
Navarro then hit into a fielder's choice, forcing Mort out at third base. After a strikeout for the second out of the inning, Oprzedek singled to right field. The throw from right fielder Amber Harrison was on target, but Eisterhold dropped the throw for an error, allowing Wallace and Navarro to score for a 3-0 Arkansas lead. Gee followed with a single to center that plated Oprzedek to give the Razorbacks a 4-0 lead.
Andrea Sullivan gave the Razorbacks a 5-0 lead in the top of the fourth on a one-out, solo home run to left field. It was Sullivan's fourth home run of the season and it came on the first pitch of the at-bat.
The Tigers jumped on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth. Eisterhold walked with one out and was lifted for pinch-runner Kristyn Richards. Brooke Lathan followed with a triple to the wall to right that scored Richards to make it a 5-1 game.
Caitlin Schultze then chopped a ball to third baseman Oprzedek who fired home in time to nail Lathan at the plate for the second out of the inning. The Razorbacks ended the Auburn rally when Caitlin Jordan flied out to right.
Although the Tigers put the leadoff hitter on in the bottom of the seventh when Schultze doubled to left, the Razorbacks would leave the runner stranded on base as Cohen retired the next three Auburn batters to end the game.