FAYETTEVILLE — Callie Turner and Nikki McGaffin combined to throw a one-hitter and the 10th-ranked Arkansas softball team capped a sweep with a 6-0 victory over Alabama-Birmingham on Sunday at Bogle Park.
The Razorbacks (31-12) outscored the Blazers (21-21) by a combined 22-1 score during the three-game series. Arkansas allowed six hits.
“I think the momentum was more important than anything,” Arkansas coach Courtney Deifel said of the weekend. “I thought we played really complete. I thought we had three wins that looked really different, and we had different people step up each day. I was really pleased that we controlled their offense….I thought our offense got better as the weekend went, so I was just really pleased with the three days."
Turner pitched 5 scoreless innings with 5 strikeouts before McGaffin shut the door in 2 innings of relief. The Blazers hit a double in their second at-bat of the game, but Turner retired the final 12 batters she faced. McGaffin allowed no hits and had two strikeouts.
“I thought that they did a really great job,” Deifel said. “I thought Callie looked really good from the first pitch — just really in control — and they really didn't even get a solid contact off her the entire day.
“And then we just wanted to get Nikki in and get her some innings. We obviously felt comfortable rolling with Callie the rest of the game, but just wanted to get Nikki out there, and I was really, really happy with how she competed. She's a competitor [and] she had her pitches working well. They made a really good one-two punch today for sure.”
The game was scoreless until Arkansas' Reagan Johnson tripled down the first-base line, then stole home during the next at-bat on a wild pitch in the third inning.
“I had a feeling she was going to throw me inside, and I knew that I just needed to turn on it,” Johnson said. “And as soon as I got the hit I was like, ‘Yeah, this is what's going to get us started.’”
Her score put the Razorbacks up 1-0 and preceded a four-run fourth inning, which was highlighted by a big swing from sophomore Raigan Kramer. The left fielder saw a two-strike pitch left up in the zone and crushed it deep into the right-center field berm. Kramer’s three-run shot put Arkansas ahead 5-0.
“I knew she was going to hit it hard,” Johnson said. “She had been hitting the ball hard all weekend and it was kind of just right to people. And then she finally got her break and as soon as it was off the bat, I just turned and started running because I knew it was over.”
Rylin Hedgecock hit her 15th home run in the fifth inning. It was a solo shot roped over the right-center wall and extended Arkansas’ lead to 6-0.
“I liked our approach overall,” Deifel said. “I think we got better as the weekend went. I think we relaxed a little bit as the weekend week and took a breath, which is nice. I think that's more than anything…what we need to do. We have great hitters that just need to take a breath sometimes. I just thought that our approach for the most part was really competitive, really aggressive, and I think that's when we are our best.”
The Razorbacks had 25 hits during the series and improved their home record to 19-7.
Arkansas is scheduled to complete its five-game non-conference stretch on Tuesday when it faces Texas A&M-Commerce. First pitch from Bogle Park is scheduled for 4 p.m.