No. 16/18 Softball forces deciding game with 3-1 win at No. 4 Arkansas

Friday, May 27

Fayetteville, Ark.

5:30 p.m. CT

University of Texas

42-19-1

#4 Arkansas

48-10

Arkansas

Texas

No. 16/18 Softball forces deciding game with 3-1 win at No. 4 Arkansas

05.27.2022 | Softball

Box Score Photo Gallery

Game three of the NCAA Fayetteville Super Regional will be played Saturday at 3 p.m. CT on ESPN

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – On Friday night in NCAA Fayetteville Super Regional action at Bogle Park, freshman first baseman Katie Cimusz and senior second baseman Janae Jefferson each blasted solo HR's to back another complete-game gem from senior pitcher Hailey Dolcini as No. 16/18 Texas softball (42-19-1) forced a decisive third game of the best-of-three series with a 3-1 triumph over No. 4 Arkansas (48-10).

Notes

Senior pitcher Hailey Dolcini is quickly entering NCAA heroine territory from the circle as the Ferndale, Calif., native has thrown 234 pitches at the NCAA Fayetteville Super Regional and 535 pitches over a seven-day stretch of NCAA Tournament action.
Texas now owns 10 wins this season over nationally-ranked teams, including top-five triumphs versus No. 1 Oklahoma and No. 4 Arkansas.
This marks the third straight road NCAA Super Regional that Texas has bounced back from a game one loss to force a deciding contest. The Longhorns have lost its two previous road game threes with a 2019 defeat at Alabama (L, 5-8) and a 2021 loss at Oklahoma State (L, 0-2).
Cimusz & Jefferson hit back-to-back HR's during Friday's third inning. That's the second time Texas has hit consecutive HR's this season after Mary Iakopo, Cimusz and Jordyn Whitaker blasted back-to-back-to-back big flies against Miami (OH) back on March 5.
Jefferson is batting a remarkable .526 overall (10-for-19) so far over six games in the NCAA Tournament with eight runs scored, a double, three HR's and a .591 on-base percentage (1.644 OPS).
Dolcini is 3-2 with a 1.52 ERA, four complete games in five starts and 21 strikeouts over 32.1 innings of work during Texas' six-game NCAA Tournament run.

Major Players

Senior second baseman Janae Jefferson (1-for-2, run, walk, HR, RBI); freshman right fielder Katie Cimusz (1-for-3, run, HR, RBI); senior catcher Mary Iakopo (1-for-3, double, RBI); sophomore first baseman JJ Smith (1-for-3, double); sophomore shortstop Alyssa Washington (2-for-3, run)

In the Circle

Senior pitcher Hailey Dolcini (22-10) scattered five hits, allowed one earned run, walked one and struck out two over her fourth complete-game effort of the NCAA Tournament.

The Details

After Arkansas wasted a leadoff single in the top of the first, the Longhorns tried to get something started in the bottom half as freshman third baseman Mia Scott and Washington registered consecutive one-out singles. Much like in Thursday night's contest, the big hit wouldn't materialize for Texas as a fielder's choice to short and a fly out to left stranded the pair.

With two down in the top of the third, the Razorbacks put together a serious threat by stationing runners at the corners on a KB Sides walk and a Taylor Ellsworth infield single to short. That set the stage for Danielle Gibson to give UA the lead as the Arkansas first baseman ripped a sharp bouncer off the glove of a diving Smith at first to make it 1-0. Third baseman Hannah Gammill stepped into the box and battled Dolcini over a 20-pitch at-bat before lining a threatening ball up the middle. Jefferson was positioned perfectly to make a remarkable diving stop off a short hop before tagging second with her glove for the force to prevent any further damage.

That play seemed to ignite the entire Longhorns squad as Texas' bats finally roared to life in the bottom of the third. Cimusz got the outburst underway by launching a leadoff solo HR to left to tie the contest at 1-1. Jefferson stepped into the box and made it back-to-back jacks by hammering a solo shot the opposite way to left center to hand the Longhorns their first lead of the NCAA Fayetteville Super Regional. With still just one down in the frame, Washington singled up the middle. Iakopo immediately followed with a RBI double to the wall in right center to expand Texas' advantage to 3-1.

Ellsworth came close to cutting into Texas' lead starting the sixth but her high drive to left was caught at the wall by Burke. Gibson followed in the very next at-bat by lining a single to left center to bring the potential tying run to the plate for the Razorbacks. Dolcini refused to yield, however, as the senior right hander caught Gammill looking at a called strike three before handling a bouncer back to the circle to leave one stranded.

Faced with one final chance in the top of the seventh, Arkansas went down in order on a pop-up, a foul out to first and a fly out to left.

NCAA Fayetteville Super Regional Schedule

Thurs., May 26

6 p.m. CT #16/18 TEXAS (41-18-1) vs. #4 Arkansas (47-9) – ESPN2 – Arkansas, 7-1

Fri., May 27

5:30 p.m. CT #4 Arkansas (48-9) vs. #16/18 TEXAS (41-19-1) – ESPN2 – TEXAS, 3-1

Sat., May 28

3 p.m. CT #16/18 TEXAS (42-19-1) vs. #4 Arkansas (48-10) – ESPN