GYMNASTICS
Arkansas lags behind SEC foes
The No. 26 Arkansas Razorbacks struggled on their best event, the balance beam, and could not gain traction during a last-place finish at the SEC Gymnastics Championships on Saturday.
The Razorbacks came in fourth in the afternoon session at Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla., with a score of 194.9 to finish behind Kentucky (196.625), Auburn (196.55) and Missouri (195.825).
The Razorbacks, who tied for their worst score at SECs in the past five years, were behind all four teams in the evening session: LSU (198.075), Florida (197.825), Alabama (197.4) and Georgia (196.7).
Top performers for the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville were freshman Hailey Garner, who had a 9.875 on the uneven bars and 9.85 on the beam, and senior Samantha Nelson, who scored 9.85 on the beam and 9.8 on the floor exercise. Garner and Jessica Yamzon made the SEC All-Freshman team for the Razorbacks.
Arkansas was forced to count a 9.225 on the beam as junior Braie Speed and sophomore Sydney McGlone had falls.
The Razorbacks are still locked in to the 36-team NCAA Tournament and will host the NCAA Fayetteville Regional on April 1.
-- Tom Murphy
BASEBALL
Tech takes series from Southern Nazarene
Home runs by Kyle Love and Zach Klockowski carried Arkansas Tech University (16-10, 12-3 Great American Conference) to a 3-2 victory Saturday in the second game of a doubleheader against Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Okla., after losing the first game 8-1.
Love's home run came on the first pitch he saw in the fifth inning, giving the Wonder Boys a 1-0 lead. Seth Wheeler added an RBI single to extend the lead to 2-0. Klockowski's home run in the sixth inning came on a full count and gave ATU a 3-0 lead. Tyler Stevens hit a two-run home run for Southern Nazarene (2-23, 2-13 GAC) in the sixth inning to set the final.
Klockowski hit an RBI double down the right-field line for Arkansas Tech's lone run in the first game.
In other GAC action Saturday, the University of Arkansas at Monticello (14-10, 11-4 GAC) earned a series sweep over Northwestern Oklahoma State (8-18, 3-12 GAC) with a 9-5 victory in Monticello. UAM took the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth on a three-run triple by Sean Wagner. ... Bryant Haralson threw a complete-game shutout, while Joe Myers hit a home run for Henderson State (16-7, 10-4 GAC) in a 1-0 victory over Southeastern Oklahoma State in Durant, Okla., after dropping the first game of the doubleheader 1-0. Haralson allowed three hits and struck out eight. ... Ouachita Baptist University (7-19, 5-10 GAC) got two home runs from Aaron Studdard as the Tigers took the first game of a doubleheader with East Central (Okla.) University 18-7 before losing the second game 9-2. Studdard's home runs came in the sixth and ninth innings.
SOFTBALL
Arkansas rallies to beat Tennessee
Tori Cooper's bases-loaded single with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning lifted the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville to a 2-1 victory over Tennessee on Saturday in front of a record crowd of 1,544 fans at Bogle Park in Fayetteville.
Cooper and Autumn Russell had two hits each to lead the Razorbacks (21-5, 2-3 SEC), who earned their first series victory over the Volunteers since 2002 and their first SEC series victory since 2013. The game was scoreless entering the seventh inning, but Tennessee (21-5, 2-3 SEC) scored in the top of the inning on an RBI groundout by pinch hitter Savannah Huffstetler. Russell had an RBI base hit in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 1-1.
Freshman Autumn Storms (9-3) pitched a complete-game 5-hitter to earn the victory, allowing Tennessee's 1 run with 4 strikeouts for her fifth complete game of the season.
UCA beats Incarnate Word
The University of Central Arkansas scored four runs on three hits in the third inning Saturday in a 6-1 victory over Incarnate Word.
Kayla Crutchmer went 3 for 4 with 3 stolen bases and 2 runs scored for the Bears (9-20, 2-4 Southland Conference), who earned their first conference series victory of the season.
OBU snaps losing streak
Ouachita Baptist University snapped a 10-game losing streak Saturday with a 7-3 victory over East Central (Okla.) University in the second game of a doubleheader at Sully Anderson Field in Arkadelphia.
After losing the first game 5-4, OBU (11-17, 5-11 GAC) responded with seven runs in the bottom of the fifth inning in the second game. Kelly Powell led the inning off with a single and she stole second base. Halley Ryburn followed with a single to put runners at the corners with one out. Madison Crosby tied the game at 1-1 with an RBI single, then Sarah Johnson doubled to put OBU up 2-1. Macy Nantz then hit a three-run home run to extend the lead to 5-1.
In other Great American Conference games Saturday, Arkansas Tech University's Morgan Vaughan threw her second consecutive shutout, allowing just one hit, as the Golden Suns won 6-0 to split a doubleheader with Southern Nazarene. Southern Nazarene won the first game 1-0. ... Oklahoma Baptist University (15-9, 9-6 GAC) held Harding University (7-17, 6-9 GAC) to three combined runs in sweeping a doubleheader 6-0 and 12-3 in Shawnee, Okla.
-- Democrat-Gazette Press Services
Sports on 03/19/2017