Arkansas Downs Ole Miss in 20-3 Thrashing

OXFORD, Miss. – The No. 10 Arkansas Razorbacks exploded for 20 runs in a 20-3 (5 inn.) thrashing of No. 25 Ole Miss during the series finale on Sunday afternoon at the Ole Miss Softball Stadium.

The 20 runs scored were a program record in a conference game for Arkansas and tied for the second-most in a single game in program history.

The Razorbacks also tied the program record for run-rule victories in a season with 16. They now share the record with the 2014 team.

Arkansas jumped out to an early lead by plating five in the first inning, three in the third, seven in the fourth and five in the fifth. The Razorbacks tallied 14 hits in the contest while reaching base 12 times by way of walks or being hit by a pitch. Eight of nine Arkansas starters collected hits in the triumph.

Bri Ellis tied a career-high with five RBI in the victory, three of which came from a three-run home run in the top of the third inning. Reagan Johnson led Arkansas with three hits at the plate, including two first-inning singles. Ella McDowell went 2-3 with a career-high four RBI and Courtney Day had a 3-5 effort at the plate that featured three RBI.

Robyn Herron improved to 7-1 on the season after allowing three runs on five hits and six walks while striking out four in a complete-game effort. Miali Guachino took the loss for the Rebels after allowing five runs on two hits and two walks in 0.1 innings of work.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Both teams went back to Friday night’s starters as Robyn Herron made her ninth start of the season for Arkansas while Miali Guachino made her 11th start of the year for Ole Miss.

Arkansas batted around in the first inning and knocked Guachino out of the game with just one out in the frame. Reagan Johnson led off the game by lining a 1-2 pitch into center field for a single. Kailey Wyckoff walked and Bri Ellis was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Courtney Day then hit into a 4-6 fielder’s choice to bring home Johnson and give the Hogs a 1-0 lead. Raigan Kramer walked after Day’s fielder choice to load the bases for Ella McDowell, who hit a bloop RBI single to right field, making it 2-0. Karlie Davison was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Ataylia Rijo hit a sacrifice fly to add two more runs. Kennedy Miller made it 5-0 Arkansas with an RBI single into left field. Reagan Johnson then had a bunt single to the pitcher to register her second hit of the inning.

Ole Miss threatened by loading the bases in the bottom half courtesy of back-to-back walks to start the inning and a one-out single. Lexie Brady drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 5-1 but Herron escaped with minimal damage courtesy of a beautiful  4-6-3 double play from Davison and Rijo.

Ellis and Kramer both walked in the top of the second inning. Ellis made it to third courtesy of heads-up baserunning on a shallow flyout but would be stranded.

Herron fanned two while registering a 1-2-3 home half of the second.

Rijo singled through the right side to start the top of the third. Kennedy Miller was then hit by a pitch to put two on with no outs. Bri Ellis extended the Hogs’ lead to 8-1 with a three-run home run to left field. The homer was her 13th of the season and 61st of her career.

In the bottom of the third, Ole Miss responded with a two-run home run from Lair Beautue.

McDowell walked to lead off the fourth inning before advancing to second on a single from Davison and tagging up to take third on a flyout from Atalyia Rijo that was caught at the wall. Miller then scored McDowell with a single through the right side to increase the Arkansas lead to 9-3. Wyckoff battled back from being down in the count to draw a walk to load the bases for Ellis, who would walk to bring in a run. The second error of the game by Ole Miss third baseman Aliyah Binford on a ground ball from Day scored two more runs to bring the score to 12-3 in favor of the Hogs. Kramer then drew a walk to load the bases for McDowell, who had a blooper fall along the right-field line for a triple, which cleared the bases to make it 15-3.

Herron spun a scoreless bottom of the fourth while fanning pinch hitter Ashton Lansdell for the second out of the frame to register her third strike out of the contest.

The Hogs weren’t done as they added five runs in the fifth inning, which was highlighted by a two-run double from Day that caromed off third base.

Herron pitched another scoreless frame in the bottom of the fifth inning to make it the final, 20-3.

NOTABLES

• The Razorbacks’ 20 runs scored were a program record in a conference game for Arkansas and tied for the second-most in a single game in program history. The school record for runs scored in a game was previously accomplished this season in a 23-0 win over Lipscomb.
• The 2025 Razorbacks now join the 2014 Razorbacks as the only teams in program history to score 20+ runs multiple times in a single season.
• The Hogs are 20-0 when out-hitting opponents this season and 269-25 when accomplishing the feat under Courtney Deifel.
• Arkansas earned its 16^th run-rule win this season, tying the 2014 team for the most in program history.
• It marked just the fifth time since 2002 that Arkansas had 14+ hits in a conference game.
• Reagan Johnson extended her reached-base streak to 11 games.
• Bri Ellis hit her 61st career home run, passing Danielle Gibson-Whorton (60) for the most in an entire career by any Arkansas player in program history when including home runs at their previous institutions prior to transferring.
• Ella McDowell set a career-high with four RBI.
• Arkansas now leads the all-time series with Ole Miss 43-35.

UP NEXT

The Razorbacks will be back in action next weekend (March 14-16) when they host the four-time defending national champions No. 1 Oklahoma.

For schedule updates and other news, go to ArkansasRazorbacks.com, or follow @RazorbackSB on X, Instagram and Facebook.