SOFTBALL: Gammill’s Three-Run Blast Lifts Arkansas To Victory Over Louisville

Hannah Gammill’s 6th inning blast completed an epic comeback over Louisville on Sunday.

After days filled with inclement weather and scheduling changes, the No. 8 Arkansas Razorbacks finally hit the diamond on Sunday evening, facing the Louisville Cardinals.

Louisville set the tone of the game early, but it was a three-run home run by Hannah Gammill in the 6th inning that ultimately lifted the Razorbacks to an 8-5 win over the Cardinals in game one of the three-game set.

After cutting the Louisville lead to 5-4 in the 5th inning, Arkansas went for the kill in the bottom of the 6th inning. Ally Socky opened the inning by reaching second base on an error and would remain at second base while the Cardinals recorded two outs following the at-bat. Socky would be driven home on a Taylor Ellsworth single, putting the Razorbacks within one. The Cardinals were shaken by Ellsworth’s hit, as the next batter, Danielle Gibson, would be walked on four straight pitches.

The table was set for Gammill, who had already driven in two runs in the 1st inning, to put Arkansas in front for the first time all game. She took advantage of a 2-1 pitch, and crushed it for a three-run bomb to give the Razorbacks the 8-5 lead. The longball was the fifth of the season for the sophomore.

Gammill would end the night with three hits and five RBI.

Bogle Park became a launching pad for both squads, as five home runs were sent over the fence on Sunday. Louisville began the power fest by blasting two home runs in the top half of the 1st inning. Louisville’s Korbe Otis put them on the board first by belting a two-run shot over the left field wall to give her team the 2-0 lead. The next batter, Hannah File, walked on four pitches, getting on base for Kendall Smith to repeat the at-bat that Otis had, as she also hit a two-run blast to extend the Cardinal lead to 4-0.

Gammill would cut the lead in half in the bottom of the 1st by plating two runs on a single. Louisville answered in the 2nd inning with a solo shot by Vanessa Miller on the first pitch of her at-bat, giving the Cardinals the 5-2 lead over Arkansas. The score would remain the same until the 5th inning, when Danielle Gibson nailed her third home run of the season over the center field fence to cut the Louisville lead to 5-4.

The Razorbacks collected ten hits on the night, with Gammill and Ellsworth grabbing three hits each. Danielle Gibson collected two hits, while Audrie LaValley and KB Sides recorded a hit in the win.

Jenna Bloom was the hero in the circle, tossing six innings of relief, allowing only one run and striking out eight batters.

Games two and three will be played on Monday, with game one’s first pitch time coming at 10 a.m., game two will begin at approximately 12:15 p.m.