Softball On SI

Arkansas Softball Coach Addresses Controversial Call in Win Over LSU

Arkansas Softball head coach Courtney Deifel addressed a controversial call that sparked debate during the Razorbacks’ win over LSU, shedding light on the pivotal moment postgame.
Maren Angus-Coombs|
May 11, 2023; Fayetteville, AK, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Courtney Deifel looks on during a quarterfinal game against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC Softball Tournament. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images
May 11, 2023; Fayetteville, AK, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks head coach Courtney Deifel looks on during a quarterfinal game against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the SEC Softball Tournament. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images | Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

The Arkansas Razorbacks found themselves in the middle of another controversial call Thursday night during their 12-9 win over the LSU Tigers at Bogle Park.

In the middle of a sixth-inning rally for the Tigers, Arkansas assistant coach Matt Meuchel and LSU head coach Beth Torina sprinted toward the home plate umpire Cameron Ellison.

Meuchel won the foot race.

LSU's Maci Bergeron was up 1-0 in the count when Meuchel realized Torina had not re-entered her catcher after substituting for her earlier in the game.

“He called timeout first, and then he beat her there,” Deifel told Whole Hog Sports after the game. “We decided to roll the dice and see if they’d catch it before she hit. Once they throw a pitch, you can go in and question the reentry.

“Ultimately, I don't know if it comes down to who calls timeout first, or who gets there first, or both, but Matt did both. It was huge. I mean, we absolutely needed that out in that moment. It was huge.”

From there, the momentum swung back in Arkansas' favor, and the Razorbacks were able to hold on for the victory in a three-hour, six-minute contest that included 329 pitches, 59 at-bats, 25 runners left on base, 21 walks and 21 hits between the teams.

“This was the most bizarre game I've ever been in,” said Deifel. “And we were a part of a 30-minute protest [during a game April 5 at Florida].

“This game was wild. I don't even know what happened. I'm really glad that we won. We need to go to sleep and then forget it ever happened.”

Game 2 of the series is scheduled to begin Friday at 6 p.m. on SEC Network+.

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Maren Angus-Coombs
MAREN ANGUS-COOMBS

Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and has been a sports writer since 2008. She has been covering college softball since 2016 for various outlets including Softball America, ESPNW and Hurrdat Sports. She is currently the managing editor of Softball On SI and also serves as an analyst for Nebraska softball games on Nebraska Public Media and B1G+.

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