Tag: Mary Haff

Five Razorbacks earn All-American Honors, tied for national lead

Even though the season is over, Arkansas Softball is still finding ways to break records.

The season may be over, but the best season in Arkansas Softball history keeps getting better.

Prior to the opening game of the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association released their All-Americans from the 2022 season on Wednesday, with five players from Arkansas making the list.

With five selections, Arkansas ties Oklahoma for the most athletes to be named All-American.

First baseman [autotag]Danielle Gibson[/autotag], third baseman [autotag]Hannah Gammill[/autotag], center fielder [autotag]KB Sides[/autotag], and utility player [autotag]Linnie Malkin[/autotag] grabbed first-team honors, while pitcher [autotag]Chenise Delce[/autotag] was named second-team All-American.

Gibson earned her second All-American honor after a record-breaking season. During her senior season, Gibson set school records in batting average (.445), hits (81), RBI (70), and total bases (155).

Sides’ lone season in Fayetteville was memorable, as she hit 13 home runs for the Razorbacks. In three seasons at Alabama prior to making the move to Arkansas, she hit three total home runs. Other career-bests for Sides include hits (70), total bases (121), doubles (12), triples (3), RBI (42), stolen bases (28), and walks (45).

Malkin lead the team in home runs with 22. During the meeting with Ole Miss during the SEC Tournament, Malkin became the program’s all-time leader in home runs with 48. According to the press release from Arkansas athletics, Malkin sits at second in the SEC in slugging percentage (.870) and RBI (68).

The final member of the first-team is Hannah Gammill. Gammill was 4th on the team in average with .374, and in RBI with 49. She was also one of five Razorbacks to reach double-digits in home runs. She led the team in on-base percentage with .513, which is fifth-highest in program history.

Chenise Delce, a transfer from Tulsa, was the anchor to Arkansas’ pitching staff. Delce posted a 19-3 record with a 2.12 ERA, 188 strikeouts, and 35 walks in 151.2 innings pitched.

According to the press release from Arkansas athletics, prior to the five selections from this year’s team, only five prior Razorbacks had been named All-Americans: [autotag]Braxton Burnside[/autotag] (2021, First Team), [autotag]Mary Haff[/autotag] (2021, First Team), Danielle Gibson (2021, Second Team), [autotag]Autumn Storms[/autotag] (2019, Second Team) and [autotag]Miranda Dixon[/autotag] (2010, Third Team).

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Arkansas drops game three of Supers to Texas, ends magical season

Arkansas’ magical season comes to a close following a tough loss to Texas in the Super Regionals.

The best season in the history of Arkansas Razorbacks Softball came to a crushing end on Saturday, as the Razorbacks fell to Texas, 3-0 in game three of the Fayetteville Super Regional.

After playing a scoreless game through the 5th inning, it was Texas who cracked the scoreboard first with a three-run 6th inning.

The Longhorns opened the inning with two hits that placed both baserunners in scoring position. Alyssa Washington then stepped into the box for Texas, and battled [autotag]Chenise Delce[/autotag] to a hitters count at 3-1. On the fifth pitch of the at-bat, Washington hit a double that cleared the bases, and gave Texas the 2-0 lead. In the next at-bat, Washington scored on an RBI single by Mary Iakopo to extend the lead to 3-0.

Over the final two innings, Arkansas would put a total of six runners on base, with only two runner going beyond 2nd base.

Arkansas was limited to five hits on the day, with [autotag]Danielle Gibson[/autotag] collecting two of those. In the circle, Chenise Delce struck out eight batters and allowed seven hits in 6.0 innings pitched. In relief, [autotag]Mary Haff[/autotag] allowed a hit while recording a strikeout.

The magical season for Arkansas Softball comes to a close with Saturday’s loss. The Razorbacks ended the season with a record of 48-12. Over the historic season, Arkansas won every SEC series of the season, en route to their second SEC regular season championship, as well as their first-ever SEC Tournament championship.

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Texas downs Arkansas, forces game three of Super Regionals

Texas got the best of Arkansas in a low-scoring affair, setting up a winner-take-all game three on Saturday.

Friday’s game two of the Fayetteville Super Regional between Arkansas and Texas featured a great game between two stout defenses, and even stronger pitching staffs.

The difference, was one inning, and who got the most production at the plate.

Every run scored in the game came in the 3rd inning, with Texas using the magic of the longball to move ahead of Arkansas, and to grab the 3-1 win. The victory by Texas evens the series at 1-1, forcing a “winner-take-all” game three on Saturday afternoon.

After recording a hit and leaving a runner on base through the first two innings of the game, Arkansas finally scored a run on an infield single by [autotag]Danielle Gibson[/autotag] that scored [autotag]KB Sides[/autotag] to give the Razorbacks the 1-0 lead.

The Longhorns responded by leading off the bottom of the 3rd inning on back-to-back solo home runs by Katie Cimusz and Jenae Jefferson to take the lead away from Arkansas, 2-1.

Mary Iakopo extended the Texas lead to 3-1 on a double to left-center field with one out in the inning. [autotag]Chenise Delce[/autotag] would enter in relief of [autotag]Mary Haff[/autotag], and would strike out the final two batters of the frame.

After the big inning, both pitchers relied on their defense to keep their opposition off of the scoreboard. In 3.2 innings of relief, Delce struck out four batters while allowing just three hits. Hailey Dolcini tossed a complete game for Texas, allowing five hits and striking out two batters.

At the plate, Gibson recorded two of Arkansas’ five hits. Texas’ Alyssa Washington was the only Longhorn to pick up multiple hits.

Game three is set for a 3 p.m CDT first pitch at Bogle Park. The winner will claim a spot in the Women’s College World Series beginning next Thursday in Oklahoma City.

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Arkansas Softball signs team-wide NIL deal with Wright’s Barbecue

The team-wide deal with Wright’s Barbecue in Johnson and Bentonville is the second such deal that Arkansas Softball has inked this season.

Since the new Name, Image, and Likeness policy was put into place by the NCAA last July, many student-athletes across the nation have received benefits by promoting a business through social media and other outlets.

For athletes at the University of Arkansas, one of the big names in “NIL” opportunities has been Wright’s Barbecue in Johnson and Bentonville.

Wright’s Barbecue has teamed up with 40 Razorback athletes through various gift card and merchandise deals, as well as royalty deals through two baseball players in [autotag]Robert Moore[/autotag] and [autotag]Michael Turner[/autotag]. Moore and Turner’s deals include special menu items that fans can purchase at Baum-Walker Stadium including “Turner’s Oppo Taco”, a walking taco named after Michael Turner, and Robert Moore’s “Big Bob Brisket.”

Wright’s Barbecue has struck yet another deal with members of Arkansas athletics, the entire softball team.

Tweets from athletes such as [autotag]Mary Haff[/autotag], [autotag]Hannah Gammill[/autotag], and [autotag]Kacie Hoffman[/autotag] began circulating following the Razorbacks’ SEC Tournament Championship win last Sunday over Missouri, which proclaimed that they were now “Wrights Athletes.”

Jordan Wright with Wright’s Barbecue tells Razorbacks Wire that the idea for the NIL deal came from attending a youth softball game.

“We ran into (head coach) Courtney Diefel and Hannah Gammill at my daughter’s softball game and I was like, we need to get this done for you all,” says Wright. “Y’all are having a great season and it would be fun for all players before regionals started. They all jumped on board.”

Wright’s Barbecue is a staple among Razorbacks fans and athletes alike. With the NIL rule now being used as a factor in promoting business, Wright’s wants to give back to the student-athletes who regularly patronize their restaurants.

“We like to be proactive and ask athletes to do deals instead of fielding requests all of the time,” says Wright. “We want to make it easy for athletes to get deals, not harder.”

This is the second such NIL opportunity that Arkansas Softball has inked. Last month, Everett Buick GMC partnered with Arkansas Softball in a team-wide deal that promotes more visibility in women’s sports through Buick’s “See Her Greatness” campaign.

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Arkansas makes history in SEC Tournament win over Ole Miss

Linnie Malkin and Mary Haff break records in Arkansas’ quarterfinal win over Ole Miss late Thursday night.

If you stayed awake long enough to watch the entirety of Arkansas’ quarterfinal game with Ole Miss in the SEC Softball Tournament, you were fortunate to see a historical performance from the Razorbacks.

[autotag]Linnie Malkin[/autotag] hit her program-best 48th career home run, while [autotag]Mary Haff[/autotag] tied an Arkansas record by recording her 26th career shutout in the Razorbacks win over Ole Miss, 3-0.

Linnie Malkin broke [autotag]Devon Wallace[/autotag]’s home run record to extend Arkansas’ lead to 2-0 in the 2nd inning on a solo home run to lead off the inning. For Malkin, that was her 20th home run of the season. At the plate in 2022, Malkin has exceeded career highs in home runs (20), RBI (63), and average (.408).

Senior [autotag]Danielle Gibson[/autotag] is not far behind Malkin in career home runs as a Razorback. Gibson, counting her one season at Arizona State, has hit 58 career home runs, hitting 46 of those during her time at Arkansas.

Haff had a great night in the circle. In a complete-game effort, Haff struck out nine batters and allowed just five hits in the win. In addition to tying the school record in shutouts, she recorded her 800th strikeout, which has happened only once before in program history. Both marks were first made by [autotag]Heather Schlichtman[/autotag], who played at Arkansas from 2001-04.

Joining Malkin in hitting a home run was [autotag]Taylor Ellsworth[/autotag] in the 5th inning. Her 15th long ball of the year gave Arkansas the 3-0 lead. The Razorbacks got on the board in the first inning on a fielding error, allowing [autotag]KB Sides[/autotag] to run across the plate.

Arkansas will now face the SEC Tournament host, Florida, on Friday at 4:30 p.m. CDT. The game can be seen on SEC Network.

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Arkansas vs. Ole Miss: Game preview, how to watch and stream Thursday’s Quarterfinal

The No. 1 seed Arkansas begins their journey for an SEC Tournament crown Thursday against Ole Miss.

The No. 1 seeded Arkansas Razorbacks’ tournament-opening opponent was named late Wednesday night. The regular-season champions will open with the No. 8 seed Ole Miss Rebels to open their stay at the SEC Softball Tournament, hosted by the University of Florida.

Ole Miss earned a first-round win over Georgia on Wednesday, defeating the no. 9 seeded Bulldogs, 9-5. The Rebels’ offense came alive in the middle innings, as they were able to take down Georgia by scoring all nine of their runs in the 3rd and 4th innings.

The Rebels’ offense had more quality hits than Georgia, with the Bulldogs outhitting Ole Miss, 14-8.

Arkansas took two-of-three from Ole Miss during the regular season in Oxford. Ole Miss handed Arkansas just their 2nd SEC loss of the season on May 1, by holding the Razorbacks to just four hits as a team.

Over the next two games, the Razorbacks would outscore Ole Miss 15-3 to claim the series. In April 3’s 8-0 win over the Rebels, [autotag]Danielle Gibson[/autotag] went 3-for-4 with four RBI while [autotag]Mary Haff[/autotag] allowed just two hits and struck out eight batters.

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 Softball uses long ball to defeat South Carolina

Arkansas scored all eight runs on four home runs in Saturday’s win over the Gamecocks, clinching the series.

It was business as usual for the “Bogle Bombers” on Saturday.

The No. 5 Arkansas Razorbacks (38-8, 16-4 SEC) defeated South Carolina (25-26, 2-18 SEC) by scoring all of their runs via the longball, en route to an 8-4 victory to claim the series at Bogle Park in Fayetteville.

The Razorbacks went down in order in the first inning but bounced back in their next frame to grab the early lead. [autotag]Danielle Gibson[/autotag] led off the inning by crushing the second pitch of the at-bat into the crowded berm in right field to give Arkansas the 1-0 lead.

The “big inning” came in the 4th, when six runs scored on two swings of the bat. [autotag]Taylor Ellsworth[/autotag] and Danielle Gibson reached base to open the inning, and came home on a three-run homer to right field, extending the Razorback lead to 4-0.

The fun did not stop there, as two more Razorbacks would reach base to give [autotag]KB Sides[/autotag] an equal opportunity. For the second time in the inning, an Arkansas batter would crush a three-run bomb. Sides’ home run would break the game open for Arkansas, as they jumped in front , 7-0.

South Carolina scored their first run in the top of the 5th inning with a leadoff home run of their own, and Arkansas would respond by scoring their final run of the game on Malkin’s second home run of the game, ending the inning with an 8-1 lead. For Malkin, it was her third multi-home run game of the year, and her first since hitting two against Auburn on April 8.

Over the final two innings, the Gamecocks would score three runs to cut the Razorbacks lead in half, but would come up short in the final inning.

Malkin, Sides, and Gibson led the team in hits with two, with Malkin scoring four runs. [autotag]Mary Haff[/autotag], [autotag]Callie Turner[/autotag], and [autotag]Chenise Delce[/autotag] combined to strikeout 10 batters on the day, allowing just five hits and three earned runs.

The finale of the three-game series is set for a 10:30 a.m. CDT first pitch at Bogle Park.

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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.