Tag: Hannah McEwen

Arkansas Softball lands slugger from Transfer Portal

Arkansas Softball lands Duke’s leading batter from last season, which will help rebuild a depleted roster heading into 2023.

The leading batter from one of the ACC’s top programs becomes the newest member of the “Bogle Bombers”

Kristina Foreman, a graduate transfer from Duke, has committed to Arkansas the program announced Saturday.

β€œShe is a proven competitor that has performed and produced at an elite level through her time at Duke,” says head coach [autotag]Courtney Diefel[/autotag] in a press release. “She brings a great deal of experience and power to our already dynamic lineup. On top of that, she is an incredibly impressive student and leader, and there is no doubt she will make an immediate impact on our program.”

Foreman will look to build on the Razorbacks program record in 2022, where they hit 109 home runs. They have lost most of that production due to graduation, however. Power bats such as [autotag]Danielle Gibson[/autotag], [autotag]Linnie Malkin[/autotag], [autotag]Hannah McEwen[/autotag], [autotag]Taylor Ellsworth[/autotag], and [autotag]KB Sides[/autotag] have since left the program. However, Foreman will fit in with those returning, such as [autotag]Hannah Gammill[/autotag] and[autotag] Kacie Hoffman[/autotag].

Foreman led the Blue Devils in average (.368) and RBI (56) in 48 starts primarily at second base. She earned a spot on the ACC Tournament team, as well as second-team All-ACC honors. She was a part of the first team in program history to earn a trip to the NCAA Super Regionals in 2022.’

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Hooked ’em! Arkansas takes game one of Super Regionals from Texas

Arkansas Softball is just one win away from a trip to OKC following a series-opening win over Texas on Thursday.

Fans that attended the opener of the Fayetteville Super Regional at Bogle Park were spectacular, and Arkansas Softball rewarded them with a victory.

Behind a strong offensive push in the later innings, the Razorbacks claim game one of the best-of-three Super Regional with Texas, beating the Longhorns, 7-1.

The Razorback defense got out of a jam in the top half of the 5th inning, which swung much-needed momentum towards the Arkansas bats. The Razorbacks were able to grab three runs.

After allowing two hits and an intentional walk in the inning, [autotag]Chenise Delce[/autotag] became locked in a battle with Texas power-hitter Bella Dayton, which ultimately ended in a ground out to [autotag]Audrie LaValley[/autotag] at 2nd base, keeping the Longhorns off of the scoreboard.

That was the play that Arkansas needed to get going offensively. The bats finally struck gold in the bottom half of the inning, as Arkansas left a total of seven runners stranded on base without a run to show for it through the first four innings. That changed with [autotag]Hannah Gammill[/autotag] stepped in the batter’s box.

After [autotag]Hannah McEwen[/autotag] reached on a leadoff double, and [autotag]Danielle Gibson[/autotag] was intentionally walked, Gammill hit a bloop single over the head of Texas’ Alyssa Washington to score McEwen to give Arkansas the 1-0 lead.

[autotag]Linnie Malkin[/autotag] kept the streak going by hitting a single to center field to load the bases for [autotag]Kacie Hoffman[/autotag]. Hoffman hit a ground ball to 2nd base, which looked to set up a routine out with a throw home. However, the throw was wide, which allowed Gibson and Gammill to score to extend the Razorbacks’ lead to 3-0.

The Razorbacks added four insurance runs in the 6th inning. Gammill grabbed her second RBI of the day by scoring McEwen on a single, and she later scored on a single by Malkin.

History repeated itself in the inning, as Hoffman would again hit a ground ball in the infield, which turned into a Texas error. The wide throw to 1st base from Texas’ Mia Scott allowed two more runs to score, pushing Arkansas’ lead to 7-0.

Texas scored their first and only run in the bottom of the 7th inning. With the bases loaded, Texas’ Mia Scott hit a grounder to 2nd base, which Arkansas used to get the out at 2nd, allowing the run from 3rd base to score. Bella Dayton flew out to McEwen in the next at-bat to close the game.

Arkansas was led offensively by Hannah Gammill’s three-hit, two-RBI night. Hannah McEwen also had three hits in the game while Linnie Malkin and former Longhorn [autotag]Taylor Ellsworth[/autotag] picked up multiple hits.

In a complete game performance, Chenise Delce struck out six Longhorns while allowing six hits and walking one batter.

Game two of the Super Regionals is set for 5:30 p.m. CDT on Friday at Bogle Park. The game can be seen on ESPN2. An Arkansas win will send them to Oklahoma City for the program’s first-ever trip to the Women’s College World Series.

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Arkansas Softball wins SEC Tournament, earns no. 4 seed in NCAA Tournament

For the first time in program history, the Arkansas Razorbacks are SEC Tournament Champions!

The Arkansas Razorbacks wrapped up a special regular season on Saturday evening by defeating Missouri, 4-0 in the SEC Softball Tournament Championship Game at Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, Fla.

Arkansas had played well in all areas leading up to the championship game, only allowing one run in two previous games, which included the host Florida Gators. Missouri had played well defensively as well, not allowing a run in wins over two top-seeded teams in Alabama and Tennessee, as well as Auburn.

But one of the nation’s top offenses prevailed again, leading Arkansas to their first-ever SEC Tournament Championship.

Three of Arkansas’ four runs came on RBI singles. After Arkansas led off the inning with two singles, [autotag]Danielle Gibson[/autotag] put the Razorbacks on the board with a single to score [autotag]KB Sides[/autotag] to give Arkansas the 1-0 lead.

[autotag]Marlene Friedman[/autotag] followed suit in the 2nd inning by driving home [autotag]Kacie Hoffman[/autotag], who led off the inning with a triple. The final RBI single of the game came in the 5th inning by [autotag]Hannah McEwen[/autotag] to give Arkansas the 3-0 lead. Arkansas’ final run was scored on a wild pitch later in the 5th to solidify the win.

In all, Arkansas outhit Missouri, 11-2. In the circle, [autotag]Chenise Delce[/autotag] struck out five batters and issued zero walks in the complete game effort.

Once the dust settled, Arkansas’ postseason fate was learned. The Razorbacks will host the Fayetteville Regional as the national No. 4 seed, which means that if the Razorbacks come out victorious in this regional, they will host the Super Regionals next weekend. Arkansas welcomes Oregon, Wichita State, and Princeton to Bogle Park for the 2022 regional.

Arkansas is paired with the Seattle Regional, hosted by no. 13 seed Washington. Teams included in the regional are Washington, Texas, Weber State, and Lehigh.

Arkansas Softball: Razorbacks blast Texas A&M to close regular season

Arkansas closes the regular season by taking care of Texas A&M. Next up is the SEC Tournament beginning Thursday night!

After falling in extra innings to Texas A&M on Friday night, the No. 4 Arkansas Razorbacks fought back to win the final two games of the weekend, which cemented the eighth series win in as many tries on the season.

The Razorbacks used power in the regular-season finale, defeating the Aggies 8-5 on Sunday at Davis Diamond in Bryan-College Station.

For the second game in a row, Arkansas’ offense was solely based on the long ball. In Saturday’s 7-3 win over Texas A&M, Arkansas scored all seven runs on four home runs. Those four home runs would be enough to break a school record, as Arkansas has hit 96 home runs as a team on the season. In Sunday’s win, four more Arkansas home runs would result in eight of their nine runs scored.

The only run to score not involving a home run came in the top of the 1st inning. [autotag]Hannah McEwen[/autotag] would score on an RBI single by [autotag]Danielle Gibson[/autotag] to put Arkansas on the board, 1-0. Gibson would score in the next at-bat on a two-run shot by [autotag]Hannah Gammill[/autotag] to extend the lead to 3-0.

In the 2nd inning, freshman [autotag]Spencer Prigge[/autotag] battled with Texas A&M pitcher Emiley Kennedy for ten pitches before breaking through with a two-run home run to move Arkansas’ lead to 5-0.

Over the next two innings, Texas A&M would trim Arkansas’ lead to 5-4, but the Razorbacks would use a big 5th inning to pull away from the Aggies.

The big swing of the inning came off the bat of Danielle Gibson, who hit a three-run home run with one out. Her 18th home run of the season would improve Arkansas’ lead to 8-4.

With the home run, Danielle Gibson had once again tied [autotag]Linne Malkin[/autotag] for the team lead in home runs with 18. That tie lasted just two at-bats, as Malkin scored the final run of the game on a solo home run, and to re-take the team’s top spot on the home run leader board.

Gibson was the top batter in the game, going 3-for-4 with 4 RBI. [autotag]KB Sides[/autotag] followed suit with two hits on the afternoon. [autotag]Chenise Delce[/autotag] got the win for Arkansas, where she allowed four hits and five runs while striking out six batters in 4.0 IP. [autotag]Mary Haff[/autotag] struck out two batters and allowed one hit in 3.0 innings of relief.

The win improves Arkansas to 41-9 on the season, and will finish the regular season with a 19-5 SEC record. Next up for the Razorbacks is the SEC Tournament hosted by Florida. Arkansas wrapped up the No. 1 seed, and will play Thursday at 6:30 p.m. CDT against the winner of the No. 8 Ole Miss vs. No. 9 Georgia game that will be played on Wednesday evening at 6:30 p.m.. The games will be televised on SEC Network.

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McEwen and Haff take home SEC weekly honors

The SEC loves the Razorbacks! Just one day after baseball took home two SEC weekly honors, softball joins by adding two more.

One day after Braydon Webb and Brady Tygart were named SEC Player and Freshman of the Week respectively, two softball players were also awarded by the league for their stellar weeks.

[autotag]Hannah McEwen[/autotag] has earned SEC Player of the Week, and [autotag]Mary Haff[/autotag] takes home SEC Pitcher of the week honors following Arkansas’ 4-0 week, which included a clinch of the SEC regular-season title.

Here is what the SEC said about each player:

Arkansas’ Hannah McEwen, a redshirt senior outfielder from San Diego, Calif., batted .692 over four games this past week as the Razorbacks clinched at least a share of the SEC regular-season title. McEwen recorded nine hits, including a pair of triples, three runs scored and nine RBI. She also posted a 1.000 slugging percentage, a 1.000 fielding percentage in left field and a .714 on-base percentage.

Arkansas’ Mary Haff, a redshirt senior right-hander from Winter Haven, Fla., went 3-0 in the circle and allowed two earned runs in 13.0 innings of work. Haff retired the first 12 batters she faced in game two against South Carolina, and then combined with Chenise Delce for the five-inning shutout in game three. To start the week, she retired all nine batters she faced, including four strikeouts, to pick up the win against Central Arkansas. On the week, Haff held her opponents to a .152 batting average.

The No. 4 Razorbacks travel to Bryan-College Station, Texas this weekend to close out the regular season by taking on Texas A&M. Game one of the three-game series begins at 6 p.m. CDT.

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Arkansas at Florida: Game preview, how to stream Sunday’s finale

After a historical win on Saturday, Arkansas looks to grab a Sunday sweep at Florida.

The no. 6 Arkansas Razorbacks made history in Saturday’s middle game with the no. 9 Florida Gators.

With Saturday’s 5-4 win over the Gators, Arkansas solidified a series win in Gainesville for the first time in its program history.

Florida got off to a hot start, responding to Arkansas’ early 1-0 lead by scoring three runs on a bases-loaded triple by Cheyenne Lindsey to give Florida the 3-1 lead heading into the 2nd inning.

Arkansas followed that by plating three runs in the top of the 3rd inning. [autotag]Taylor Ellsworth[/autotag] picked up her second RBI of the game on a groundout, and [autotag]Hannah McEwen[/autotag] hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 3-3. The Razorbacks regained their lead thanks to the bat of Linnie Malkin, who doubled to left field to score [autotag]Danielle Gibson[/autotag]. The Gators would bounce back yet again to tie the game in the bottom of the 3rd inning on a sacrifice fly by Charla Echols.

The final blow would be a double by [autotag]KB Sides[/autotag], that scored [autotag]Cally Kildow[/autotag] to put the Razorbacks up for good, 4-3.

Hannah Gammill and KB Sides each recorded three hits for Arkansas, while Taylor Ellsworth led the team with two RBI. [autotag]Mary Haff[/autotag] had a solid start for Arkansas in the circle, allowing three earned runs on five hits with a strikeout. [autotag]Chenise Delce[/autotag] slammed the door on the Gators, striking out two batters in two innings of relief, earning the save.

How did the series win over Kentucky affect Arkansas in the latest polls?

Did Arkansas receive a boost following a series win over a top-15 team? The answer will surprise you.

As Rodney Dangerfield famously said, “I get no respect.”

The same sentiment can be felt by Arkansas Softball, who got no respect in the latest polls following a series win over a top-15 team over the weekend.

After winning two of three games over then-No. 12 Kentucky at home last weekend, Arkansas makes no jump in either of the four major polls, remaining at their same spot from a week ago.

While there was no movement in the polls this week, the Razorbacks have a chance to boost their stock yet again this upcoming weekend on the road. Arkansas travels to Gainesville, Fla. to face the No. 11 Florida Gators beginning Friday night.

“Bogle Bombers” power Arkansas to Sunday win, series over Kentucky

Arkansas hit four home runs, including a total moonshot by Linnie Malkin, in their series-clinching win over Kentucky on Sunday.

The Razorbacks were seeing the softball well at the plate on Easter Sunday.

No. 6 Arkansas (32-8, 11-4 SEC) hit four home runs on Sunday, which included a multi-home run game for [autotag]KB Sides[/autotag], leading the Razorbacks to an 8-0 run-rule victory over No. 12 Kentucky (29-11 9-6 SEC) in six innings, giving them their fifth straight SEC series win.

The Razorbacks followed Saturday’s game where they hit three home runs by stepping up their game to hit four as a team. Sides, who is currently having the best season of her collegiate career at the plate, hit her 9th and 10th home runs of the season against Kentucky in the rubber game of the series.

Sides added to Arkansas’ 5-0 lead by crushing a solo shot just wide of the right field foul pole to move the Razorbacks’ lead to 6-0 in the 4th inning.

Her second long ball of the afternoon was a shot to dead center in the 6th inning to extend Arkansas’ lead to 7-0. The Razorbacks would walk off as winners three at-bats later when [autotag]Danielle Gibson[/autotag] singled home [autotag]Hannah McEwen[/autotag] to post the necessary 8th run to put the run-rule into effect.

The first home run of the game came in the 1st inning off of the bat of [autotag]Taylor Ellsworth[/autotag]. After Kentucky recorded the firs tow outs of the inning, Ellsworth hit her 12th home run of the season just hard enough to clear the left field fence to put Arkansas on the board, 1-0.

[autotag]Linnie Malkin[/autotag], who finished the week by hitting five home runs, hit one of the longest home runs that Bogle Park has seen in its’ history.

The three-run home run put Arkansas up 5-0 in the 3rd inning, and would be a key factor in Sunday’s win. Arkansas, who trailed only Georgia entering the day for the conference lead in home runs, has now hit 81 home runs on the year.

[autotag]Audrie LaValley[/autotag] joined Gibson as Razorbacks to record an RBI without using the long ball.

Arkansas outhit the Wildcats, 11-4 on Sunday. [autotag]Chenise Delce[/autotag] was a dominant force yet again in the circle, going the distance by allowing four hits and striking out five batters in the win.

With the series win, Arkansas remains the only team in the SEC to win every conference series so far on the season. They are also tied with Alabama for the overall lead in the SEC.

Arkansas will now take the midweek off to prepare for a road trip to face a tough No. 9 Florida squad. The three-game SEC series will begin Friday in Gainesville, Fla.

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Delce is dominant in series-opening win over Kentucky

Chenise Delce was once again dominant in Arkansas’ series opening win over Kentucky on Friday.

The reigning SEC Pitcher of the Week may be on her way to being a repeat winner.

Chenise Delce was awarded the honor following three successful outings in the Auburn series where she did not allow a run while striking out 15 batters in 7.2 innings of work. She picked up where she left off by striking out nine batters while allowing one earned run on six hits in No. 6 Arkansas’ 2-1 series-opening win over No. 12 Kentucky on Friday afternoon at Bogle Park.

Delce limited the production of the Wildcats by facing just four batters in all but two innings on Friday. The junior’s lone run allowed came in the 3rd inning on a Rylea Smith single to tie the game at 1-1. Her strongest inning came in the 6th inning when she faced the minimum with two strikeouts.

Over the last six games, Delce has allowed just four earned runs while striking out 40 batters.

Arkansas (31-7, 10-3 SEC) jumped out to an early lead in the 1st inning. [autotag]Hannah McEwen[/autotag] reached base on a double to center field, and scored two at-bats later when Danielle Gibson doubled her home to give the Razorbacks the early 1-0 advantage.

Following the single by Smith to tie the game, [autotag]Hannah Gammill[/autotag] answered in the 4th inning by launching a solo shot to left center that would give Arkansas their lead back, 2-1.

The home run would end up being the winning run. With the home run in the 4th inning, Gammill now leads the team in home runs with 15.

Six batters recorded a hit in the game, with McEwen, Gibson, and Kacie Hoffman grabbing multi-base hits in addition to Gammill’s home run.

With the win over Kentucky, Arkansas has now won the opening game of a conference series in four of the last five tries. The lone exception being a 2-0 loss to Ole Miss on April 1, but they would bounce back by winning the final two games of the series.

Game two of the series is set for 7 p.m. Saturday night at Bogle Park. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN2.

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Razorbacks make statement in sweep of Auburn

Arkansas Softball continues to prove why they are one of the best programs in the country following a sweep of No. 17 Auburn

Arkansas Softball saved the best for last in Sunday’s finale against Auburn.

The No. 10 Razorbacks entered the weekend as winners of three-straight SEC series and needed a key series win against No. 17 Auburn to send a message to the pollsters and the rest of the SEC that they were as good as advertised.

The message was sent loud and clear, as Arkansas put on an offensive clinic Sunday in their 17-4 win over Auburn, giving them the weekend sweep over the Tigers.

Arkansas pressed their foot to the gas and never let up, as they scored at least four runs in every inning against the Tigers, with their biggest inning being the 1st inning, where five runs were sent across the plate to score.

Most of the offensive production came off the bats of [autotag]Taylor Ellsworth[/autotag], [autotag]KB Sides[/autotag], and [autotag]Kacie Hoffman[/autotag], as they combined to score 14 of Arkansas’ 17 runs on just five combined hits.

Between the three, Ellsworth made the most noise by collecting all six of her RBI on two swings of the bat. On a day where both teams combined to hit seven home runs, Ellsworth joined Sides by hitting a two-run blast in the 2nd inning to extend Arkansas’ lead to 9-0. She upstaged that swing by hitting a grand slam in her next at-bat, giving Arkansas the 13-0 lead heading to the 4th inning. Ellsworth had a noteworthy day, as she collected her 2nd multi-home run game of the season, and hit the team’s sixth grand slam of the season.

Sides was next in line by going 2-for-5 with 5 RBI. Her first runs scored of the day came in the 2nd inning, when she crushed her 7th home run of the season over the center field fence to extend Arkansas’ lead to 7-0.Β  She collected three more in the 4th inning on a bases-clearing triple which pushed the Razorbacks lead to 16-4. She was the final run to cross the plate in the game for Arkansas, as she came home on a sacrifice fly by [autotag]Hannah McEwen[/autotag]. Five RBI ties a career-high for Sides.

Hoffman did her damage early, hitting a three-run blast as part of the five-run first inning for the Razorbacks. The freshman has now hit 5 home runs in her rookie campaign with 14 RBI.

While the offense had a great weekend, the Razorbacks do not have that production without a solid arm in the circle. [autotag]Chenise Delce[/autotag] was remarkable, providing a reliable relief arm for Arkansas in their three-game series with Auburn. Delce appeared in all three games, striking out a combined 15 batters while allowing just two hits in 7.2 innings. In Sunday’s action, the transfer from Tulsa struck out every batter she faced, sitting down four batters in 1.1 innings pitched.

Arkansas is poised for another big series, as they welcome the No. 12 Kentucky Wildcats to Bogle Park this weekend. Before then, Arkansas will sit back and see how much movement they make in the weekly polls.

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