FAYETTEVILLE -- Trying to end an 11-game losing streak to No. 15 Alabama dating back to 2012, the No. 20 Arkansas softball team held the lead for nearly half the game Friday night. But after a 57-minute lightning delay, the Crimson Tide bats got a jolt.
Alabama (26-11, 7-6 SEC) scored five runs after play resumed in the top of the fourth, then held on late for a 6-5 victory at Bogle Park. It was just the second home loss this season for the Razorbacks (31-9, 6-7), who will try and halt the streak against the Tide again at 11 a.m. today.
Down 6-1 in the bottom of the seventh, Arkansas battled back with four runs in the frame on an RBI-single from Katie Warrick and a three-run bomb over the left field wall by freshman Kayla Green. But Alabama pitcher Alexis Osono was able to force a groundout to end the game.
Arkansas starter Autumn Storms (12-6) went 5 2/3 innings on the mound, allowing five earned runs on seven hits to take the loss. Caroline Hedgcock tossed the final 1 1/3 innings for the Razorbacks without allowing a hit.
Arkansas landed the first blow in the bottom of the first, as Hannah McEwen led off with a walk and advanced to third on Autumn Buczek's bloop single just over the head of Tide second-baseman Demi Turner. After the next two batters struck out, freshman Kayla Green lined a shot to right field, allowing McEwen to put the Razorbacks on top, 1-0.
Alabama looked to threaten in the second after a leadoff single by Caroline Hardy. But Arkansas second-baseman Haydi Bugarin answered with a defensive gem, snagging Sydney Booker's hard grounder up the middle, stepping on second and firing back across to complete the double-play.
The Tide knotted things at 1-1 in the top of the fourth, taking advantage of a Razorback error. Peyton Grantham led off the inning with a walk, advancing to third on a Booker single. She then came home when Bugarin misplayed a sharply-hit grounder by Bama's Merris Schroder.
After the lightning delay, the Tide continued their at-bat with two more runs, as Booker beat a throw to the plate on a fielder's choice, then Schroder scored on a groundout to give Alabama a 3-1 lead.
The Tide made it 4-1 in the fifth on an RBI single by Grantham. Gabby Calloway's two-run homer in the sixth then bumped it to 6-1.
Green paced the Hogs with two hits, including the homer, and four RBIs. Hardy had a pair of hits for Alabama.
Sports on 04/14/2018