FAYETTEVILLE — Hannah Camenzind and Morgan Leinstock combined to pitch a two-hit shutout and the No. 17 Arkansas softball team defeated No. 20 Mississippi State 3-0 in front of a record crowd of 3,811 on Saturday afternoon at Bogle Park.
The Razorbacks (24-7, 3-2 SEC) bounced back from a 6-3 loss Friday night to even the series.
The victory came after ninth-year Arkansas coach Courtney Deifel challenged her team to respond from Friday’s defeat.
Following the Game 1 loss, which saw Mississippi State (23-7, 4-4 SEC) score six unanswered runs, Deifel said she wanted to see “more fight” from her team. The Razorbacks were up for the challenge.
“Gosh, I was just really pleased with it,” Deifel said of the bounce back. “We just didn't really feel like we were very good in any aspect of the game last night and we knew it was going to take a lot more to beat these guys, so we challenged them and they responded."
Camenzind (7-0) pitched 4 innings and forced 6 flyouts and 5 groundouts. Of her 55 pitches, 36 were thrown for strikes.
She did not allow a baserunner until the fifth inning when Mississippi State led off with back-to-back hits.
“[Camenzind] was outstanding today,” Deifel said. “Just outstanding, especially for [facing] a team that's as patient as they are. She trusted her stuff, she trusted her defense, and the duo of [Camenzind] and [Leinstock] was just exceptional today. I’m really proud of them.”
Leinstock inherited runners at second and third base with no outs in the fifth inning. She recorded a ground out and two strikeouts, including a swinging strikeout of Aquana Brownlee that ended the inning and got the Razorbacks out of the jam unscathed.
“They had second and third no outs, and so it's a really big moment to go into,” Deifel said. “But it's a moment that [Leinstock] is built for and is ready for. To go in and just have the composure that she had and execute the pitches like she did, it was such a big moment."
Leinstock pitched the final 3 innings and allowed 0 hits against 10 batters faced. She struck out two and walked one.
Bri Ellis in the first inning ensured Camenzind and Leinstock would have some run support. Ellis got the Razorbacks on the board with a two-out, solo home run to left field on the first pitch she saw.
It was the junior first baseman’s 11th home run, which ranks eighth in Division I.
Arkansas went ahead 2-0 in the third inning when Kennedy Miller delivered a double down the left-field line to score Nia Carter. Raigan Kramer, who went 2-for-3 at the plate, delivered an insurance run in the sixth inning with an RBI single through the right side.
The performance from Kramer came after not playing Friday night as the coaching staff continues to experiment with different lineups.
“We have a lot of trust in her and a lot of belief,” Deifel said of Kramer. “Sometimes we go off matchups. We felt like she was going to be a really good matchup for [Mississippi State starter Josey Marron] today and that she's been looking really good and just grinding to really prep for these pitchers.
“Raigan did what Raigan does really well — just really controls her zone. And when it shows up, she's ready to attack. Even her out, I mean, shoot, it was a loud out. She just looked really good today and came up big for us.”
Marron (8-3) pitched all 7 innings for the Bulldogs and gave up 6 hits and 1 walk against the 25 batters she faced.
Ellis, Kramer and Miller each had two hits to lead the Razorbacks. Arkansas out-hit Mississippi State 6-2, and the Bulldogs committed 1 error.
Arkansas and Mississippi State are scheduled to play a rubber match Sunday at 12 p.m. on SEC Network+.