Late Push Falls Short as #3 Lady Vols Drop Game Two to #12 Arkansas, 6-4

Sunday, April 30

Fayetteville, Ark.

1 p.m.

University of Tennessee

39-6, 0

Arkansas

36-14, 0

Tennessee

Arkansas

Late Push Falls Short as #3 Lady Vols Drop Game Two to #12 Arkansas, 6-4

April 30, 2023 | Softball

Box Score Box Score

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The third-ranked Lady Vols made a late push Sunday afternoon at Bogle Park, but fell short, 6-4, against No. 12 Arkansas.

Tennessee (39-7, 17-3 SEC) entered the seventh inning down four runs and pushed two across the plate to cut the lead in half, but Razorback ace Chenise Delce shut the door and preserved the win for UA.

Arkansas (36-14, 12-8 SEC) got on the board in the second inning with a two-run home run off the bat of Kacie Hoffman.

UT starter Payton Gottshall bounced back from the homer and held the Razorbacks scoreless through the next three frames. The Lady Vol offense also got going, plating a pair of runs in the fifth to tie the game at 2-2.

An infield single and a walk put two runners on for junior Zaida Puni who came up with a clutch two-out two-run double just over the outstretched glove of Arkansas' left fielder.

With the game tied at two apiece, the Razorbacks scored four runs in the home half of the sixth to take a commanding lead. A leadoff double and a one-out walk put runners on first and second for Cylie Halvorson who deposited a 3-2 pitch over the wall in left-center for a three-run home run – breaking the tie.

Kristina Foreman followed with a solo home run to center to score Arkansas' fourth run in the frame.

Junior Ryleigh White came on in relief for Gottshall to get out of the inning.

Tennessee pushed back in the seventh as Jamison Brockenbrough, Kiki Milloy and Lair Beautae all hit infield singles to load the bases with nobody out. Sophomore McKenna Gibson hit a sac fly to center to plate one run, followed by Puni who also scored a run on a sacrifice fly.

Delce then induced a ground ball to stem Tennessee's rally and close out the game.

Gottshall suffered her first loss of the season and is now 11-1 on the year. She threw 5.1 innings, allowing six runs on six hits with a pair of walks and four strikeouts.

The Lady Vols scattered seven hits on the day led by Brockenbrough and Milloy with two.

UP NEXT
Tennessee and Arkansas will play in a rubber match on Monday night with first pitch scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. The game will air on SEC Network with Mark Neeley (play-by-play) and Amanda Scarborough (analyst) on the call.

Fans can also listen to the Voice of Tennessee Softball, Brian Rice, call the action on the Vol Network via a free audio stream on UTSports.com and the Tennessee Athletics Gameday App.