Razorbacks blank WKU on the road

Arkansas designated player Rylin Hedgecock (left) celebrates Thursday, March 2, 2023, with Reagan Johnson, Kacie Hoffmann and Cylie Halvorson after hitting a two-run home run scoring Johnson during the third inning of the Razorbacks’ 4-0 win over Iowa State at Bogle Park in Fayetteville.

The Arkansas softball team concluded its non-conference schedule Monday night with a 7-0 shutout of Western Kentucky in Bowling Green, Ky.

The victory capped a 3-1 stay in the Bluegrass State for the 11th-ranked Razorbacks (35-13). It followed a series win at Kentucky over the weekend.

Redshirt senior ace Chenise Delce tossed five scoreless innings and notched her 18th victory of the season. Western Kentucky (25-20) had two runners in scoring position in the fourth and fifth innings, but she escaped each jam with strikeouts.

Delce allowed 5 hits and had 5 strikeouts against 21 batters faced.

Freshman right hander Nikki McGaffin came on in relief of Delce and put a bow on the shutout. She pitched 2 scoreless innings and struck out 3 of 7 batters she faced.

The game was scoreless through three innings, but the Razorbacks broke the game open with a five-run fourth.

After Lauren Camenzind and Kristina Foreman reached base with one out, sophomore right fielder Kacie Hoffmann hit a three-run home run over the center-field wall. It was her sixth homer of the season and second in as many days.

Freshman shortstop Atalyia Rijo made it consecutive jacks to dead center when she followed with a solo home run. It was home run No. 4 for Rijo and extend the Razorbacks’ lead to 4-0.

Three at-bats later, Cylie Halvorson smacked a double off the wall in center to score Reagan Johnson and cap the five-run inning. Arkansas scored one run in the fifth and sixth innings.

Johnson hit into a fielder’s choice with the bases loaded to score Camenzind in the fifth, and Kristina Foreman tacked on another run for the Razorbacks in the sixth when she singled to score Hannah Gammill.

Johnson, Foreman and Hoffmann each finished with two hits to pace the Arkansas bats.

With the victory, Arkansas coach Courtney Deifel notched her 300th career win. She won 27 games in 2015 at Maryland and has won 273 games in 8 seasons with Arkansas.

The Razorbacks improved to 3-1 all-time against Western Kentucky. It is the second consecutive season Arkansas has defeated the Hilltoppers on the road.

The Razorbacks also won 8-1 on March 21, 2022.

Arkansas on Saturday is scheduled to host No. 4 Tennessee, which is first in the SEC standings. Game 1 of the series is set for 4 p.m. and will air on ESPNU.

Sunday's game is set for noon on ESPN2, and Monday's game is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. on SEC Network.