NCAA SOFTBALL REGIONAL

Former Razorback delivers final blow

Tulsa’s Haley Meinen circles the bases after hitting a leadoff home run in the bottom of the seventh to beat Arkansas 5-4 and drop the Razorbacks to the losers bracket at the NCAA Regional at Norman, Okla., on Friday.
Tulsa’s Haley Meinen circles the bases after hitting a leadoff home run in the bottom of the seventh to beat Arkansas 5-4 and drop the Razorbacks to the losers bracket at the NCAA Regional at Norman, Okla., on Friday.

Haley Meinen stuck it to her ex-teammates with one big swing Friday.

Meinen hit an opposite-field home run on the first pitch of the bottom of the seventh inning to send No. 23 Tulsa to a 5-4 victory over Arkansas on Friday in the first game of the NCAA Norman (Okla.) Regional at Marita Hynes Field.

The walk-off home run against University of Arkansas, Fayetteville freshman Caroline Hedgcock (3-5) was Meinen's second of the season. Meinen, of Fort Bend, Texas, pitched in 20 games for the 2015 Razorbacks and hit .364 in limited duty before transferring to Tulsa.

"That's a postseason game for you," Arkansas Coach Courtney Deifel said. "It was a battle and both teams kept throwing punches and, unfortunately, they got the last punch. I liked how our team fought during the game but I felt like we had a few innings where we gave up too much and they capitalized on our mistakes."

Tulsa (40-15) advanced to today's winners bracket.

Arkansas (31-23) will face the loser of the Oklahoma-North Dakota State game, which was suspended because of weather with North Dakota State ahead 2-0 in the bottom of the first. The game will resume at 1:30 p.m. today.

"Now [our resiliency] is really going to get tested," Deifel said. "I think we've been tested quite a bit throughout our conference schedule. They know what's at stake, and they know they're going to have to show up big time from first pitch against whoever we play to the last pitch of the day."

Arkansas forged a 4-4 tie on the first pitch in the top of the seventh against Emily Watson (29-4) on Katie Warrick's sixth home run.

The Razorbacks seized a 3-0 lead in the top of the second inning with more long ball.

Nicole Schroeder hit a solo home run on the first pitch of the inning, her school-record 17th of the season. After both Madison Yannetti and Ashley Diaz walked, Autumn Russell delivered a two-out triple to right-center field to bring in both runs to make it 3-2.

The Golden Hurricane got busy in the bottom of the inning, touching Arkansas starter Autumn Storms for two runs.

Morgan Neal started it with a one-out double, then Rylie Spell reached on an error by shortstop A.J. Belans. Both runners advanced on a passed ball before Shannon Hughes lined a triple to center field to score both.

Arkansas' 3-2 lead held until the fifth inning. Julia Hollingsworth opened Tulsa's fifth by reaching on an error by Yannetti at second base. After Maggie Withee's single, Deifel called on Hedgcock.

After Tori Stafford's sacrifice bunt moved up the runners, Meinen hit a ball to second base and Hollingsworth beat the throw to the plate for an unearned run to make it 3-3. Maddie Withee put down a successful squeeze bunt on the next pitch to score her sister from third base as Tulsa moved ahead 4-3.

Watson pitched a complete-game 6-hitter, striking out 4 and walking 3.

Arkansas increased its SEC-best home run count to 59.

Sports on 05/20/2017

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