Texas Stuns No. 4 Arkansas
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – If this feels familiar to Arkansas fans, well, it is.
Last year the SEC champions turned SEC tournament champions went all year without losing as series before winning the first game of the super regionals handily before giving up the last two to North Carolina State in frustrating fashion, eliminating the Razorbacks from a potential baseball national championship run.
Just switch out North Carolina State for Texas and change baseball to softball and you have how things played out for the Razorbacks again following a 3-0 shutout.
Fittingly, it was Taylor Ellsworth, facing her former team, who hit a shot deep that looked like it might go out and tie the game, but the Longhorns' Lauren Burke was playing deep and ran down the line drive at the warning track to shock the No. 4 Razorbacks.
The second best hitting team in the tournament went 14 innings over two games with a single run.
The Longhorns were able to figure out an Arkansas weakness for change-ups, and used the knowledge to keep one of America's best hitting power teams swinging wildly at balls all over the place.
While freshman Sophia Simpson failed to throw a high percentage of pitches in the actual strike zone, the inconsistency never clicked with the Razorbacks until the final inning as they continually chased balls out of the zone.
Razorbacks Hannah McEwen gets on base against Texas in the NCAA Super Regional final game at Bogle Park on Saturday afternoon. (Arkansas Communications)
Texas coach Mike White clearly didn't expect to get the game he got out of Simpson. Texas had pitchers warming up in the bullpen before the first pitch was even thrown, but they wouldn't be needed.
Simpson struck out seven and mowed through home run duo Lennie Malkin and Kacie Hoffman each trip to the plate. The pair hit back-to-back long balls to break open Game 1, but were shut down the following two games.
Arkansas had plenty of opportunity to end the game early. The Razorbacks got the first two hitters on in the second and third inning, but couldn't drive anyone home in either case.
There were also two runners on in the 5th and the first two hitters got on in the sixth and seventh, but again, no runs.
Simpson held Arkansas without a hit 12 times with runners in scoring position.
Both losses came down to big plays by All-American Janae Jackson at second base. Her play Saturday afternoon might be the play of the year in softball.
Audire LaValley hit a ball to right that should have fallen perfectly between everyone. However, Jackson makes a diving over-the-shoulder catch where she barely gloved it while landing violently head first in the outfield, squeezing a bobbling ball into her glove as her head bounced of the turf.
Razorback fans now have to wait until the selection show on Monday to see where baseball team goes. There's a high chance we could see another Arkansas vs. Texas showdown for the third time this season.
The Razorbacks have been projected as a possible No. 2 seed in the Austin regional. Arkansas dominated Texas in football this past September.
If the two teams meet, it would be the multi-sport rubber match for 2021-22 bragging rights.
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