Arkansas Lets Early Lead Slip Away, Falls in Extras to Missouri
COLUMBIA, Mo. – No. 12 Arkansas (38-15) fell to Missouri (33-23), 4-3 (8 inn.), Saturday afternoon at Mizzou Softball Stadium.
The loss snaps Arkansas’ three-game win streak. The Razorbacks move to 38-15 overall and 14-9 in SEC play.
Arkansas gripped onto a 2-0 lead in the top of the second thanks to back-to-back home runs by junior Cylie Halvorson and fifth-year senior Kristina Foreman.
The Tigers were held scoreless until the bottom of the fifth when an errant throw led to a pair of unearned runs to even it at 2-2.
Arkansas and Missouri exchanged zeroes in the sixth and seventh frames to send it to extras.
In the top of the eighth, freshman phenom Reagan Johnson peppered a leadoff single up the middle. Johnson later advanced to second on a passed ball to put Arkansas in scoring position. Sophomore Raigan Kramer’s fly out to foul territory in right was deep enough to move Johnson smoothly to third. Then, redshirt junior Rylin Hedgecock’s sacrifice fly to left center gave the Hogs a 3-2 lead.
Missouri raked two solo home runs in the bottom of the eighth to even the series with a 4-3 victory.
Making the start, freshman LHP Hannah Camenzind pitched 4.2 frames and surrendered two unearned runs on four hits. Camenzind restrained Missouri to zero runs through four.
Redshirt senior RHP Chenise Delce (20-7) twirled the final three innings and gave up two runs on a pair of solo home runs. Delce struck out one and worked around a walk.
Reagan Johnson had another outstanding day at the dish, going 2-for-4 with a run scored. Johnson has a team-leading 22 multi-hit games this season, including back-to-back games with two base knocks. The Karnes City, Texas, native is on a six-game hitting streak. Johnson moves her season total in hits to 72, which ranks sixth in single-season program history.
Driving in a run on a sacrifice fly, Hedgecock pushed her season total in RBI to 58, which ranks third in single-season program history.
Up Next
Arkansas and Missouri battle in a Sunday rubber match slated for 2 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.
For schedule updates and other news, go to ArkansasRazorbacks.com, or follow @RazorbackSB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.