BY DUDLEY E. DAWSON
The Razorbacks’ two softball All-Americans made sure Friday night that Bogle Park was well protected against Gators.
Chenise Delce’s eighth complete game of the season and Hannah Gammill’s two solo homers sparked No. 17 Arkansas over visiting No. 10 Florida 6-2 in SEC softball action.
“That’s what it is all about, just finding a way to get it done,” Arkansas head coach Courtney Deifel told her team after the game. “At the end of the day, we are going to find a way to get it done collectively and that’s what we did today.
“Chenise, great job. Defense, offense, very, very good. Let’s use this to spark momentum through the weekend.”
Arkansas (23-8, 4-3) and Florida (23-6, 2-2) will meet again Saturday night at 8 p.m. on ESPN 2 and Sunday on SEC-plus at noon as the host look for a series win over the Gators for the second time in as many years.
Just five days after throwing 172 pitches in series-winning complete game at Alabama, Delce (12-4) went the distance again.
She threw seven innings while allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits, fanning six and walking four against Florida.
Gammill, who hit .371 and had 18 homers and 51 RBIs last season, had just one round-tripper and six RBIs coming into Friday night.
But she had solo blasts in both the fourth and fifth innings to lead her team back from a 1-0 deficit.
Florida took that 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Skyler Wallace led off with a walk, stole her 17th base of the season, advanced to third on an errant throw and scored own Raigan Kramer’s ground out.
Gammill, who raised her average to .247 with a 2 for 3 night, tied it with her homer leading off the fourth in an inning the Razorbacks would plate three runs.
Cylie Halvorson singled, went to second a wild pitch and third on a passed ball and raced home to make it 2-1 when Kacie Hoffman reached on a fielder’s choice.
Atalyia Rio’s sacrifice fly would score Hofffman as Arkansas went up 3-1.
Florida got back a run in the fifth, but Gammill’s two-out homer in the bottom of the inning pushed that advantage to 4-2.
Arkansas would add two insurance runs to make it 6-2 by getting three off their seven hits in the bottom of the sixth.
Lauren Camezind, Kristina Foreman and Rijo led off the half inning with singles with Rijo’s scoring a run and Raigan Kramer adding an RBI ground out later in the frame.
Photo courtesy of Arkansas athletics
