Burnham Tosses Complete Game Shutout as Hogs Take Series Over No. 10 Tigers

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Behind a complete-game shutout from Freshman Payton Burnham on her 19th birthday, the No. 6/8 Arkansas Razorbacks blanked No. 10 LSU, 6-0, to give Arkansas its sixth-straight SEC series win on Saturday afternoon inside a sold-out Bogle Park.

With the victory in the series finale, the Razorbacks won their sixth consecutive SEC series for the first time since 2022, when they won all eight of their league series.

Burnham was magnificent in her seven innings of work. The Eugene, Ore., product struck out six and allowed just four hits on two walks. Burnham became the first freshman to pitch a seven-inning complete game for Arkansas since Robyn Herron on March 2, 2023, in a win over Iowa State and just the ninth Razorback rookie to accomplish the feat since 2002. With the win, Burnham improved to 13-2 this season. Her 13 wins are the most by a freshman since Mary Haff’s 29 in 2017.

Arkansas used timely hitting mixed with some LSU miscues to provide the run support in Burnham’s shutout. Kailey Wyckoff opened the scoring with an RBI groundout in the bottom of the first before Arkansas plated a run off wild pitches in both the third and fourth innings to increase the lead to 3-0. The Razorbacks then added the final three runs in the bottom of the fifth courtesy of RBI singles from Kennedy Miller and Reagan Johnson and an RBI walk from Bri Ellis.

Miller led Arkansas with a 2-3 day that featured a perfectly executed bunt single in the fourth inning and an RBI single in the fifth. Wyckoff (1-3, R, RBI), Johnson (1-3, RBI) and Bri Ellis (0-0, 4 BB) all drove in a run in the victory.

Tatum Clopton took the loss for LSU (40-13, 12-12 SEC) after allowing two runs on three hits and four walks in 2.2 innings pitched.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Payton Burnham made the start on her 19th birthday for Arkansas while LSU turned to Tatum Clopton.

Burnham struck out the Tigers’ Danieca Coffey on just four pitches to open the game. Jalia Lassiter doubled off the wall in right field for the first hit of the game. Following a walk to Tori Edwards, Burnham completed the scoreless inning with her second strikeout and a 4-3 groundout.

Johnson led off the bottom of the first with a walk. Raigan Kramer then singled to first base and Bri Ellis walked to increase her reached-base streak to 25 games to load the bases. Kailey Wyckoff then grounded out to second base to drive in a run and give Arkansas a 1-0 lead.

In the second inning, Burnham retired the Tigers in order. Atalyia Rijo became the lone Razorback to reach in the bottom of the inning after smashing a leadoff double into the gap in right-center field.

Burnham made it six straight retired in the third inning while picking up her fourth strikeout.

Ellis reached on a walk in the bottom of the third for Arkansas, her second of the game. With two outs, Wyckoff reached on a single up the middle and Courtney Day drew a walk to load the bases. Following Day’s walk, LSU made a pitching change and brought in Sydney Berzon. Arkansas would take a 2-0 lead on a wild pitch that scored McDowell before Berzon ended the inning by issuing a groundout.

In the fourth inning, Burnham spun another scoreless frame. The Tigers’ McKenzie Redoutey ended Burnham’s streak of consecutive batters retired at nine by singling through the right side with two outs.

Arkansas loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth courtesy of a fielding error and a bunt single by Kennedy Miller in addition to a walk by Bri Ellis. Karlie Davison then came around to score on a wild pitch after reaching on the error to increase the Hogs’ lead to 3-0.

Burnham would only allow a double to LSU second baseman Sierra Daniel in the fifth.

Courtney Day singled up the middle with one out in the bottom of the fifth before being pinch-ran for by Ramsey Walker. Davison reached on an error by Coffey at third before Miller gave Arkansas a 4-0 lead with an RBI single down the right-field line. Jayden Wells pinch ran for Miller after the single. Johnson made it 5-0 with an RBI single through the left side before Arkansas added its sixth and final run of the game on a bases-loaded walk from Ellis.

Ella McDowell and Karlie Davison’s 5-4-3 double play highlighted the top of the sixth inning as Burnham also picked up her fifth strikeout in the frame. Wyckoff reached on a walk for Arkansas in the bottom half.

Redoutey singled through the right side to lead off the seventh inning. Burnham then fanned the Tigers’ Jaydn Leneuax for the first out of the inning before Davison turned a game-ending double play on a ground ball by tagging Redoutey and throwing out Avery Hodge at first to end the game and wrapping up the complete-game shutout.

NOTABLES

• Arkansas has won six consecutive league series for the first time in a season since 2022.
• Arkansas surpassed last season’s win total with its 38^th victory of the year.
• Payton Burnham became the first freshman to pitch a seven-inning complete game for Arkansas since Robyn Herron on March 2, 2023, in a win over Iowa State and just the ninth Razorback rookie to accomplish the feat since 2002
• Bri Ellis extended her reach-base streak to a career-long 25 games by walking four times to tie a single-game career high. Her 25-game reached-based streak is tied for the fifth-longest in program history.
• Kennedy Miller collected her seventh multi-hit game this season, which marked the 21st of her career.
• Courtney Day extended her career-best reach-based streak to 12 games.
• Arkansas welcomed its 500,000^th fan in Bogle Park history during today’s game. The announced attendance was 3,803, the seventh-largest crowd in program history.

UP NEXT
Arkansas (38-11, 14-10 SEC) will be back in action next week in the SEC Tournament in Athens, Ga. The Razorbacks await their seeding and opponent contingent upon the conclusion of today’s games around the league.

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