Razorbacks Defeat Crusaders
The Razorback softball team opened the season with a 7-1 win against Evangel University at Bogle Park Friday. (Photo by Mary McKay)
The Arkansas softball team opened its 2012 fall season with a 7-1 win against Evangel University.
Freshman pitcher Kelly Young started for the Razorbacks. The right-hander from Madison, Miss., pitched through five innings for her first career start.
Young struck out seven batters and allowed one run on three hits.
Sophomore pitcher Kimmy Beasley finished the game. She struck out two batters in the top of the sixth and three batters in a row in the seventh inning to close out the game. She did not allow a hit.
Arkansas swung the bat well with eight hits on the game.
Freshmen Claire Clark and sophomore Devon Wallace led the team with two hits each. Wallace was last season’s Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Year.
Clark hit a double in the second inning and a single in the fourth. Wallace picked up a double to right-center in the third inning and a two-run double to right in the sixth inning.
Junior outfielder Jennifer Rambo picked up a two-run home run in the fifth inning to score Amanda Geile, who reached base on a double.
Sophomore outfielder Alyssa Bass picked up the first hit of the game in the first inning with a single to left. Stephanie Canfield, a freshman outfielder, singled to center at the beginning of the fifth inning to start a rally for the Razorbacks.
Catcher Jaymee Gee singled to center in the bottom of the sixth that would start up another rally for the team.
The Razorbacks did well defensively against the Crusaders. The Hogs recorded zero errors and allowed only one run after allowing Evangel to reach base eight times throughout the game.
The Crusaders’ run came in the top of the fifth inning when Bethany Bacon doubled to right and Rachel Rhoten came in to pinch run. Rhoten scored from third on a single from Katie Tollefson.
The game showed that the Razorbacks have a young yet strong team for this upcoming season.
The Razorbacks roster is made up of only four seniors, eight juniors, five sophomores and ten freshmen.
After starting a freshman pitcher, the team then put in a sophomore to take over. Beasley had an outstanding freshman season for the Hogs. Last season, she was SEC Freshman of the week twice and was also named to the SEC All-Freshman Team. Beasley picked up huge victories over No.1 California, then-No. 7 Baylor, No. 3 Alabama, No. 11 Georgia and Kentucky. Beasley might be a huge factor for the Hogs again in the upcoming season.
The top two hitters during the game were a freshman and sophomore, which showed that the Razorbacks have young depth on both sides of the spectrum — hitting and defense.
The team is composed of many underclassmen, but they are proving not only that they have potential for a great season but also that the future of the program looks bright.
