After Long Delay, Arkansas Moves on to Rematch in Dramatic Fashion
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – It's officially the first day of regionals for Arkansas, and despite losing three straight to close the season, including the Razorbacks' lone SEC Tournament game at Bogle Park last week, Arkansas is back home again for a chance to return to the super regionals.
This is the third consecutive season the Razorbacks have been a national seed. Arkansas won all three of its games last year in the Fayetteville regional before things fell apart in a three game series against Texas in the super regionals.
Today the Razorbacks take on Harvard for only the second time in program history. The two last met just short of a decade ago, 9-4, in a winter showdown in Florida back in 2014. Depending on the outcome, Arkansas will face either Notre Dame or Oregon, which play before the Razorbacks take the field. The Ducks held off a late charge to get away from Bogle with a 5-4 win and will move on to face the winner of Arkansas and Harvard tomorrow afternoon.
REGIONAL SCHEDULE:
Friday, May 19
Game 1: #2 Oregon vs. #3 Notre Dame – 4 p.m. (ESPN2)
Game 2: #1 Arkansas vs. #4 Harvard – 6:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
Saturday, May 20
Game 3: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2 – 2 p.m.
Game 4: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2 – 4:30 p.m.
Game 5: Winner of Game 4 vs. Loser of Game 3 – 7 p.m.
Sunday, May 21
Game 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5 – 1 p.m.
*Game 7: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5 – 3:30 p.m.
Weather
There's been a little bit of an issue with rain in Fayetteville. The patterns are similar to what plagued the SEC Tournament last week, although, so far the rains haven't been quite as heavy and disruptive. The winner of this regional plays the winner of the Stillwater regional. At the moment, they are in a rain delay in Stillwater, which means odds are high there will possibly be a delay in Fayetteville at some point tonight.
And as that is written, the umpires have stopped Oregon and Notre Dame in the 4th because of rain. The rain has moved out. The Ducks and Irish resumed at 8 p.m.
Does this feel familiar?
Last year Arkansas hosted Oregon and the Ivy League champion in Fayetteville last year. The Razorbacks opened with an 11-0 win over Princeton before taking a pair over Oregon. Coach Courtney Deifel would love to come away with a win over Ivy League champion Harvard followed by a pair of wins over Oregon.
1st inning (Top)
ARKANSAS 0, HARVARD 0
Welcome to a cold Bogle park where a cold front has driven the temps down into the high 50s. There's a shockingly light crowd on hand tonight. Hannah Camenzind will take the mound instead of Chenise Delce with her sister making up the other half of the battery. We welcome those of you who were just treated to that kick in the stomach of a baseball game. The warm-ups are over and after over three hours of waiting, the Hogs are ready to kick off the Fayetteville Regional.
Camenzind starts with a strike and we are off and running. Little bit of a tight zone tonight and the count is full. Bobowski slaps a high bouncer to Hannah Gammil who has a gun at third and the first out is made. The first pitch of the next goes to Gammil and in just a few seconds there are two outs.
Camenzind with a low fast ball for her first strikeout of the game and Harvard is held scoreless to open the game with a perfect inning.
MID-INNING BREAK
Todd Walker is Now the Razorbacks' Official Punching Bag,
But Got What He Wanted
1st inning (Bottom)
ARKANSAS 5, HARVARD 0
The Crimson bring a pitcher who will throw in the 50s tonight. That is incredibly slow and will take a major adjustment for the Razorbacks as no one in the SEC pitches anywhere close to that slow. Regan Johnnson has led off all 56 games as a freshman and it's for just this reason. Johnson with a liner to center for a lead-off hit. She then wastes no time stealing second to give Arkansas a runner in scoring position.
Raigan Kramer gets under a ball that she is able to float just far enough to clear the infield for a hit that moves Johnson to third. These slow pitches really have the Razorbacks' timing off.
A Wooo Pig Soooie has already started and there are definitely some howling offenders. If people want to howl, Arkansas State will gladly accept more fans. However, if the intent is to cheer for the Razorbacks, stop it with the howling.
Kramer steals second and Rylin Hedgecock gets unintentionally intentionally walked to load the bases.
That brings up Cylie Halvorson who is way in front of the pitch. After triple clutching on the next pitch before holding off, Halvorson has to slowly swing at the next pitch, but is able to flick her wrist enough at the last second to lift it to the warning track and Johnson tags up for the first run of the game.
On.a side note, Grand Canyon took down No. 2 UCLA today.
Kristina Foreman walks to load the bases again, bringing up Gammill. She is typically way ahead on SEC pitchers, so this will be a challenge for her. Also, the announcers on the softball side still haven't wrapped their mind around the beer caps when the bases are loaded. The last couple of games they have come out and the announcers have no idea why.
That's ball four to Gammill and a run will walk in and keep the bases loaded for Kacie Hoffman. Harvard's pitcher just threw a change up and it took forever to get to the plate. It was essentially a flat slow pitch throw. Hoffman turns on it and it's deep to left. The left fielder took a poor step off the bat and it will hit off the bottom of the wall. Two runs will score as Hoffman jogs into second with a double.
Lauren Camenzind hits a grounder to short and she flips it to third where the tag is easily placed on Hoffman. However, another run scores and the Hogs are now up 5-0. This is not pretty.
Atalyia Rijo works a full count and watches a strike on the inside portion of the plate to end the inning.
2nd inning (Top)
ARKANSAS 5, HARVARD 0
Camenzind jams Megan Welsh inside and Rijo gets up to snag it for a fly-out at short for the first out. The next pitch is hit right back to Rijo who makes the throw for out No. 2. Alison Hefley grounds the next pitch to Camenzind and in less than a minute the inning is over.
MID-INNING BREAK
ALABAMA CONNECTION RESULTS IN DERRIAN FORD
SHOCKING SEC TEAMS WITH TRANSFER CHOICE
2nd inning (Bottom)
ARKANSAS 5, HARVARD 0
If Arkansas holds on to win tonight, which definitely looks like it will be the case, the SEC will be 11-1 on Day 1 of regionals. Only South Carolina has lost today.
Anna Reed is back on the mound and she is closing in on 50 pitches to begin her second trip to the mound. Johnson is having to triple clutch as she tries to do her steps to slap hit. Johnson with a grounder to second that she almost beats out even though it was well hit and fielded clean. She has track speed from the plate. One out.
Kramer with a hard grounder that is just far enough up the middle to barely get outside the reach of the second baseman and Arkansas has its first runner of the inning on.
Hedgecock lifts a slow pop-up to third base and Harvard has settled in for a second out. That will bring Halvorson to the plate. She gets way under this one. It could get down, but is caught in a dead sprint on the lower portion of the NCAA logo in center field and the Razorbacks are held scoreless.
3rd inning (Top)
ARKANSAS 5, HARVARD 0
Another grounder from the lead-off pitcher goes to Rijo and the short stop has accounted for three of the last four outs. Camenzind turns Breanna Jewett into a pretzel and there are now two away. Camenzind just threw a ball on an 0-2 pitch to Teagan Shaw. Prior to that pitch, her previous 12 pitches were strikes.
Shaw fights off a couple of pitches before hitting a hard grounder to Foreman who takes a shot in the jaw and she is rattled. Harvard has its first runner of the game with two outs.
A slapper over to Gammill who rifles it over to first for an incredible out to end the inning.
MID-INNING BREAK
WALSH, COUNCIL MUCH MORE PRODUCTIVE IN COMBINE DAY 2 SCRIMMAGE,
ONE HOG GETS JUMPED ON DRAFT BOARD
3rd inning (Bottom)
ARKANSAS 6, HARVARD 0
Foreman comes up to bat, hits the first pitch for a chopper to short and that quick there's one out.
The Hogs have hit a bit of a dry spell, but not for long. Gammill gets a pitch out over the plate that she gets full extension of her arms on and full rotation of her hips and the resulting line drive goes off the protective chain link fence beyond the left field wall to extend the lead to 6-0.
Hoffman follows and takes the first pitch off the body to put a runner on for Lauren Camenzind. She lifts a long shot off the end of the bat deep to right-center that gets run down for the second out.
Rijo takes a slow pitch off the back of her knee and Arkansas has runners on first and second. There has been a challenge to see whether Rijo moved into the ball. After a review, the command center determined Rijo moved into the pitch and the runners are sent back. It should be noted that the look on Deifel's face after the explanation was priceless.
After all that, Rijo grounds out to end the inning and we head to the 4th.
4th inning (Top)
ARKANSAS 6, HARVARD 0
Trina Hoang with a hard grounder to Gammill and she guns down another one for the first out.
Madi Mays ends the no-hitter by driving a low hit deep to left-center that rolls to the wall for a double.
A hard low liner by Walsh that skips to Foreman at second results in an out, but does move Mays to third. Camenzind then hits Fitzpatrick, and Deifel decides to respond to the Harvard challenge last inning with her own challenge. Another successful hit by pitch challenge and everyone will move back and we will continue the at-bat. Hoping to hear Deifel's thoughts on this at some point. She can be a little spicy when she wants to be.
Just like last inning, it results in a ground out to end the inning.
MID-INNING BREAK
FORMER HOG QB REVEALS TIES TO 2002 OLE MISS STREAKER
4th inning (Bottom)
ARKANSAS 6, HARVARD 0
Arkansas needs to squeeze in a couple of runs to make this a run rule threat in the top of the 5th. If the Razorbacks can reach the middle of the 5th up 8, they will advance to take on Oregon in the winner's bracket for the second year in a row.
Harvard brings in Riley Flynn, the Ivy League rookie of the year out of Phoenix, Arizona. He sped is roughly the same as Reed, but she has a wider variety of pitches in her arsenal.
Johnson leads it off and lifts a 3-2 pitch to shallow center for the first out.
That brings up Kramer who has been highly effective tonight. However, Flynn has been really effective. Flynn pops up to shallow center also and Bobowski runs it down for out No. 2. It will now be up to Hedgecock to get things going if these Razorbacks want to get to bed at a decent hour.
Hedgecock works a full count into a walk, giving Halvorson the chance to put the pressure on the Crimson, but a line drive to right field ends the inning.
5th inning (Top)
ARKANSAS 6, HARVARD 0
Heffley hits a hard grounder to Foreman at second and Camenzind is at only 59 pitches with one out in the fifth.
Kendall Jean lifts a shot down the line in left that looks like it will be trouble, but Kramer is able to traverse the soft muddy ground over there to make the play.
Another grounder up the middle to Camenzind and we are headed to the bottom of the fifth with the shutout still intact.
MID-INNING BREAK
RECOVERY TIMETABLE LOOKS LIKE IT WILL BE LONG FOR MCADOO
5th inning (Bottom)
ARKANSAS 7, HARVARD 0
Foreman kicks things off in the bottom of the fifth. For those wondering, tomorrow will be a beautiful, chilly day in Fayetteville. There should be no delays in Saturday's action.
Foreman fouls off a full count pitch and Flynn is really working these Arkansas hitters. Patience pays off though for the Razorbacks as an outside pitch gives Hannah Gammill a chance to end the game. If she hits another laser home run the game is over. That won't happen though because she receives the unintentional intentional walk.
Hoffman comes up and watches a close pitch on the outside edge for a ball. Flynn brings it in an inch and it's now 1-1. Hoffman anticipated a pitch in the same spot on the next pitch and fouls it off to make it 1-2. Flynn comes back with a rise ball in the same part of the plate that Hoffman doesn't bite on. However, she comes inside on the next pitch and Hoffman is down on strikes for the first out of the inning.
Lauren Camenzind comes up and drives a 2-2 pitch up the middle on a hard grounder and Foreman will round third and score to put the Razorbacks within a run of ending the game. Deifel pulls Gammill off second and inserts Rylie Cloud as a pinch runner in hopes she can score from there to end the game.
Rijo works a full count as these sleepy fans are hoping to bring things to an end. And she's in the tricep to load the bases. That will bring Johnson to the plate with the chance to bring this to an end with a hit or walk.
Flynn strikes out Johnson with a pitch in the top of the zone and now Kramer will determine whether this game goes another inning. Kramer fouls a pitch off the outer part of the plate and it's a 1-2 count. She fouls off a second pitch and you can feel the battle going on between her and Flynn.
Kramer turns on it hard. It's way up in the air sailing toward the right field fence. It looks like there's a play to be made and Harvard can't get to it. It's a walk-off grand slam to end this one 11-0 and the Razorbacks will indeed have a showdown with Oregon in the Fayetteville Regional for a second straight year.
Harvard will now move on to take Notre Dame and Rose Bud, Arkansas native Joley Mitchell. Arkansas will play at 2 p.m., while Harvard moves into the 4:30 slot.
