Arkansas Storms Back To Complete Twinbill Sweep, 7-6
Official Game 2 Statistics
Lady 'Backs Score Six Unearned Runs On State's Season-High Six Errors FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- The Arkansas softball team (36-22-1, 12-14 SEC) plated four unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to complete a furious comeback to complete a doubleheader sweep of visiting Mississippi State (31-26, 10-15) with a 7-6 victory in the nightcap Saturday afternoon at Lady 'Back Yard in Fayetteville, Ark. Kellie Wilkerson plated a run on a 2-for-3 showing at the plate to pace the Bulldogs, with Brooke Best adding a season-high 2-for-3 tally. Krystal Tillman added a pair of RBIs on a 1-for-4 hitting performance. Tiffany Woolley (2-for-4) and Stephanie Hunter (2-for-3) tallied multi-hit performances for Arkansas. The reliever Wilkerson (5-2) allowed just one hit and struck out one, but allowed the four unearned runs to saddle the loss for Mississippi State. Starter Kasey Whitehead scattered five hits through four and two-thirds innings of work, but got the no decision. Arkansas pitcher Valanna Lyons (6-7) allowed two earned runs on four Mississippi State hits in five and one-thirds innings of relief work to earn the victory for the hosts. Mississippi State lit up the rightfield scoreboard first, getting an RBI single from Iyhia McMichael in the first to take a 1-0 lead. Arkansas knotted the score back up in the bottom of the first on Danica White's fielder's choice RBI, but State added three more runs in the second to take a 4-1 lead. Arkansas plated single runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to cut its deficit to just one run, 4-3 but Mississippi State got sixth-inning RBI hits from both Jennifer Jessup and Tillman to take a 6-3 lead into the bottom of the frame. Despite the three-run deficit, however, Arkansas utilized one hit and three critical errors from the Bulldogs to plate four runs and complete the comeback victory. Both teams will return to action tomorrow as the Bulldogs and Lady 'Backs go head-to-head in the series finale at Lady 'Back Yard. First pitch is set for 12 p.m. and will be preceded by Arkansas' Senior Day festivities. The contest can be followed via this live stats link. Mississippi State Gets Wrong End Of Pitching Duel FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- The Arkansas softball team (35-22-1, 11-14 SEC) plated an early run, then staved off a couple of scoring threats by visiting Mississippi State (31-25, 10-14) to slip by the Bulldogs, 1-0, in the opener of a three-game series Saturday afternoon at Lady 'Back Yard in Fayetteville, Ark. Iyhia McMichael cashed in on her seventh triple of the campaign and walked once on a 1-for-2 hitting tally that paced the Bulldogs, with Krystal Tillman turning in a 1-for-3 clip. Arkansas shortstop Blaire Woodward legged out three infield singles on a 3-for-3 tally for the Lady Razorbacks. Mississippi State started pitched effectively, striking out one and allowing just four hits in five innings of work, but saddled the tough-luck loss on an unearned run in the first. Arkansas staff ace Heather Schlichtman (18-7) struck out five and walked three and allowed just two hits in recording her eighth shutout of the campaign. Arkansas threatened immediately, getting a runner into scoring position via a one-out single by the speedy Woodward and a pass ball by MSU catcher Amy Mosley, then took a 1-0 lead two batters later on White's RBI single to centerfield. The Bulldogs got their first baserunner of the contest into scoring position in the third via a two-out walk and stolen base by Jennifer Jessup, but Schlichtman induced Krystal Tillman into a short pop fly to get out of the inning. With two outs in the third, Arkansas, again, got Woodward into position, but this time Whitehead got Julie Young to pop out to second to exit the inning. State gave its first serious threat in the fourth, bringing McMichael to within 60 feet of home plate on a two-out triple to right centerfield that broke up Schlichtman's no-no. Lindsay Nelson drew a full-count walk to put runners on the corners with the next Maroon and White at-bat, but Schlichtman got out of the inning moments later when she got Jennifer Nelson out on a short chopper back to the circle. Arkansas got White on to begin the bottom of the fourth, then moved the runner into scoring position on Stephanie Hunter's sacrifice bunt. Whitehead, though, ruely slammed the door on the scoring threat, retiring the next two Lady Razorback batters in order to keep MSU within striking distance heading into the fifth. State put something together again in the fifth, putting a pair of runners on with two outs, but Schlichtman pinch hitter Tyeah Patterson to fly out to short centerfield. The Maroon and White rallied in the sixth, getting both Wilkerson and McMichael on via a defensive error and a walk, respectively, but Schlichtman would have nothing to do with it, getting Lindsay Nelson on a looking strikeout, then inducing Jennifer Nelson to line out into an inning-ending double play. With Wilkerson in the circle in the sixth, Arkansas got a leadoff single from Woodward, then moved the runner to third on two-straight groundouts, but Hunter grounded out to the third baseman Tanelda McDonald to force the hosts out of the inning.
GAME 2 - Arkansas 7, Mississippi State 6 Mississippi State 130 002 0 - 6 8 6Arkansas 100 114 x - 7 6 3Whitehead, Wilkerson (5) and Waterman; Talley,Lyons (2) and White. W - Lyons (6-7).L - Wilkerson (5-2). Save - None. 2B - MSU,Tillman; ARK, White.
GAME 1 - Arkansas 1, Mississippi State 0 Mississippi State 000 000 0 - 0 2 0 Arkansas 100 000 x - 1 5 2 Whitehead, Wilkerson (6) and Mosley; Schlichtmanand White. W - Schlichtman (18-7). L - Whitehead (19-11).Save - None. 3B - MSU, McMichael.