State sports briefs

FOOTBALL

Ellis signs with Patriots

Former Arkansas Razorbacks linebacker Brooks Ellis, who played at Fayetteville High School, has signed a free agent contract with the New England Patriots, according to an announcement on the team's website.

Ellis, a team captain for the Razorbacks as a junior and senior, led the team with 83 tackles last season when he also had a 47-yard interception return for a touchdown against TCU. He had 7 tackles for losses totaling 41 yards last season along with 5 pass breakups and 1 fumble recovery.

Ellis finished his Arkansas career with 41 starts, 290 tackles, 4 interceptions and 13 pass breakups. He was an NCAA Academic All-American.

Ellis is the third Razorback to be added to the Patriots' roster this spring. They picked defensive end Deatrich Wise in the fourth round of the NFL Draft and signed wide receiver Cody Hollister as a free agent last week.

Ellis and Hollister are among 19 New England free agent signees.

Former Razorbacks defensive end Trey Flowers also plays for the Patriots.

-- Bob Holt

TRACK AND FIELD

Weeks twins clear 14-11

FAYETTEVILLE -- Arkansas Razorbacks sophomores Lexi and Tori Weeks -- twin sisters from Cabot -- both cleared 14 feet, 11 inches to take first and second in the pole vault at the Arkansas Twilight meet Friday night at John McDonnell Field.

Lexi Weeks won the event based on fewer misses. Both missed three attempts at 15-1 1/2. Razorbacks redshirt sophomore Desiree Freier cleared 14-3 1/2 to take third place in the event.

Other winners for the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville's No. 2-ranked women's team included junior Payton Stumbaugh in the long jump (20-7 3/4), sophomore Kiara Parker in the 100 meters (11.36 seconds) and freshman Jada Baylark in the 200 (23.29).

Arkansas junior Travonn White went 25-8 to win the long jump for the Razorbacks' No. 7 men's team. Other UA winners included seniors Ken LeGassey in the high jump (7-0 1/2) and Eric Janise in the 400 (46.39) and sophomore Erich Sullins in the hammer (202-10).

SOFTBALL

Harding advances to GAC championship

Harding University (53-6) advanced to the Great American Conference tournament finals in Bentonville with a 2-0 victory over Southern Arkansas University on Friday.

Autumn Humes extended her scoreless streak to 15 innings and added a two-out single in the third inning for the game's first run. Alexus Lawellin scored on a wild pitch in the fourth inning for the extra run.

Harding will play SAU (45-15) in a rematch at noon today with the Lady Muleriders needing to win twice for the tournament championship. SAU defeated Southern Nazarene 16-0 in five innings in Friday's late game.

Also Friday, Arkansas Tech University defeated Ouachita Baptist University 2-1 to eliminate the Lady Tigers. Jalissa Gum struck out 13 for the Golden Suns. Sarah Coronado doubled home Cara Toler and Janie Knowles doubled in Ashley Landry for the Golden Suns. The Lady Tigers closed to 2-1 in the sixth when Macy Wilson homered to left field.

Southern Nazarene eliminated the University of Arkansas at Monticello 3-2 in eight innings when Riley Brown singled in Jacey James. Southern Nazarene also eliminated Arkansas Tech 6-1 by scoring five runs in the 10th inning.

Arkansas headed to SEC Tournament

The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville defeated Georgia 6-2 Friday night at Bogle Park in Fayetteville to earn a spot in the SEC Tournament.

The tournament appearance is Arkansas’ first since 2013 and the 10th in program history. The SEC Tournament begins Wednesday in Knoxville, Tenn.

Nicole Schroeder, A.J. Belans, Katie Warrick and Madison Yannetti hit home runs for the Razorbacks (31-19, 7-15 SEC). Autumn Storms (16-13) pitched a complete game, allowing 2 runs on 10 hits in 7 innings.

Arkansas scored two runs in the fourth and fifth innings before adding one in the sixth after Georgia scored twice.

“We never put a result-oriented goal on anything we did,” Arkansas Coach Courtney Deifel said. “We just wanted to be better Razorbacks than the day before. Our girls have absolutely shown up every day and done that. They’ve lived that. For them to experience the SEC Tournament, and hopefully the NCAA Tournament, they’ve put themselves in a really strong position to be part of that conversation.”

Three from Lyon earn all-conference honors

Lyon College's Nicole Sanders was named to the American Midwest Conference's first team while Rachel Norman and Allie Lewis earned second-team honors.

Sanders finished with a 12-14 record and a 3.19 earned-run average with 139 strikeouts in 160 innings.

Norman had a .309 batting average in 48 games and scored 35 runs. Lewis started 37 of 46 games, batting .309, scoring 16 runs with 2 home runs and 21 RBI.

BASEBALL

UALR's Owens named to academic team

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock's Hunter Owens was named to the 2017 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District 6 first team.

A senior biology major, Owens has a cumulative grade-point average of 3.57 and leads the Trojans with a .324 batting average, 58 hits, 15 doubles, 37 RBI, 93 total bases and a .520 slugging percentage. Owens is tied for the team lead in doubles (15), home runs (6), runs (33) and fielding percentage (1.000).

Owens is the first UALR player to earn Academic All-District first-team honors since Jacob Stover in 2006 and is the first UALR student-athlete to earn the honor since golfer Sofia Bergland in 2014.

UAM wins in extra innings

Brian Ray hit a home run in the bottom of the 11th inning to lift the University of Arkansas at Monticello to a 7-6 victory over Southeastern Oklahoma State on Friday in Monticello.

The Boll Weevils forced extra innings in the eighth inning when Sean Wagner homered to center field to tie the game, 6-6.

Dawson Moser (4-1) threw four innings after relieving Landon McFadden to get the victory. Moser surrendered two hits and struck out four batters.

Sports on 05/06/2017

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