BASKETBALL Guard says he’ll transfer to ASU
Arkansas State appears to have added a guard to its 2013-2014 men’s basketball roster, but it’s not the former Sun Belt Freshman of the Year yet.
P.J. Hardwick, a guard who played at North Texas last week, posted to his Twitter account Saturday that he has committed to transfer to Arkansas State. The 5-10, 170-pounder tweeted that he had been on campus since Friday and even posted a picture of him and Coach John Brady on campus.
“I want to thank all the coaches who contacted me I have officially ended my recruitment. I will be taking my talents to Jonesboro, Arkansas,” Hardwick tweeted Saturday afternoon.
Hardwick, from Miami, played in all 32 games for the Mean Green last year while starting 17 as a freshman. He averaged 3.7 points and 2.9 rebounds and will have to sit out this year per NCAA transfer rules.
Hardwick was on ASU’s campus the same weekend as Brandon Reed, who was named Sun Belt Freshman of the Year in 2010 while playing for the Red Wolves before transferring to Georgia Tech. Reed received his scholarship release from Georgia Tech after this season and will have one season remaining.
- Troy Schulte
SOFTBALL Central Arkansas sweeps Lamar
Senior pitcher Kelsie Armstrong struck out the 1,000th batter of her college career Saturday as Central Arkansas swept Lamar, 2-0 and 7-5, in a Southland Conference doubleheader Saturday at Farris Field in Conway.
Neither team scored in the opener until the fifth inning when UCA scratched out a pair of runs in the fifth inning. Singles from Melissa Bryant and Lissa Avitia drove in Tiffany Roby and Sam Forrest, giving the Bears all the offense they would need.
Kelsie Armstrong earned the victory, throwing all 7 innings and allowing 4 hits and 1 walk while striking out 13.
Central Arkansas built a 5-0 lead in the second game before the Lady Cardinals came back with five unearned runs in the fifth inning to tie the game at 5-5. The Bears responded immediately, scoring twice in the bottom of the inning to take a 7-5 lead.
Armstrong (26-11) picked up her second complete game victory of the day, allowing 5 hits, 2 walks and striking out 6.
Berry ends Hendrix’s season
Hendrix College’s season came to an end Saturday with a 9-3 loss to Berry College at the Southern Athletic Association tournament in Danville, Ky. After defeating Sewanee 8-0 earlier Saturday, the sixth-seeded Warriors (22-19) could not hold off the top-seeded Vikings (28-10).
Berry scored four runs in the top of the first inning. The Vikings tacked on three more in the fifth behind a two-run home run by Lacey Herring.
Hendrix cut the deficit to 7-1 in the bottom of the fifth when sophomore Michaela Larabee walked and later scored on an error.
Berry added two more runs in the top of the seventh to go up 9-1. In the bottom half of the seventh, Hendrix senior Ashley Halbert drew a walk and junior Tiffany Hubbard blasted a home run to left field to make it 9-3.
BASEBALL Harpenau earns 800th victory
Arkansas-Fort Smith Coach Dale Harpenau earned his 800th career victory Saturday with a 6-2 victory over the University of Texas of the Permian Basin at Rhoden Field in Odessa, Texas.
UAFS dropped the opening game of the doubleheader 7-4, but the Lions defeated Permian Basin in the second game to give Harpenau the milestone.
Harpenau has coached UAFS for 15 seasons and is has an 800-433-3 record over his 26-year career.
Hendrix rallies past No. 25 Millsaps
Down by two runs going into the top of the ninth inning, Hendrix College rallied to score seven to defeat No. 25 Millsaps College, 13-8, on Saturday and advance to the semifinals of the Southern Athletic Association tournament.
The Warriors (21-20) will play at noon today. Hendrix would have to lose twice to be eliminated. Today’s winner will play next weekend in a best-of-three series against the winner of the semifinals of the Birmingham-Southern pod.
Junior Jacob Perschke went 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 3 RBI. Sophomore Seth Mobley had a pair of hits and two RBI, while juniors Collin Radack and Thomas Weber had three hits each.
Perschke (2-4) also picked up victory win in relief, pitching 2 1/3 innings, giving up 3 hits, 3 runs and 2 walks striking out 2.
Sports, Pages 33 on 04/28/2013