Burnham Tosses Complete-Game Shutout as No. 5/9 Razorbacks Down No. 19 Mississippi State, 3-0
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Arkansas sophomore RHP Payton Burnham tossed a complete-game shutout while Tianna Bell (solo HR) and Kailey Wyckoff (two-run HR) hit long balls as the No. 5/9 Arkansas Razorbacks blanked Mississippi State, 3-0, on Wednesday afternoon during the second round of play of the 2026 SEC Tournament at John Cropp Stadium.
With the win, the Razorbacks will face No. 3/4 Alabama in the SEC Quarterfinals tomorrow at 1 p.m.
Arkansas (42-10) got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning, courtesy of Tianna Bell hitting a solo home run to center field, her team-leading 15th round-tripper of the season. Kailey Wyckoff added insurance in the bottom of the fifth inning with a two-run home run to right field to make it the final, 3-0. Atalyia Rijo scored on Wyckoff’s homer after reaching on a double in the previous at-bat.
Payton Burnham was dominant in her 12th win of the season. The Eugene, Ore., product fanned two batters while allowing just three hits and a walk in her seven shutout innings to improve to 12-3. Burnham’s complete-game shutout was the first by an Arkansas pitcher in an SEC Tournament contest since Chenise Delce accomplished the feat (7 IP, 5 K, 2 H) during a 4-0 win over Missouri to give Arkansas the SEC Tournament Championship on May 14, 2022.
Bell also singled in addition to her home run during a 2-3 day. Dakota Kennedy reached base in all three trips to the plate with a pair of singles and a walk in the win.
Alyssa Faircloth (13-7) took the loss despite a strong outing for Mississippi State (38-18). The left-hander allowed three runs on six hits and a walk while striking out two in six innings of work.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Payton Burnham earned the start for Arkansas while Mississippi State went with left-hander Alyssa Faircloth.
Burnham retired the Bulldogs in order in the top of the first inning. Atalyia Rijo made two impressive plays at shortstop for the first and third outs of the inning, while Reagan Johnson made a leaping catch at the warning track in center field for the second out. Faircloth followed with a 1-2-3 inning of her own in the bottom of the first inning.
In the top of the second inning, Mississippi State put a runner on courtesy of a fielding error, but that would be the only adversity the Hogs would face.
Tiannna Bell gave Arkansas a 1-0 lead in the home half of the second inning with a solo home run to center field, her 15th of the season. Dakota Kennedy followed with a walk following Bell’s round-tripper.
In the top of the third, Ella McDowell made an incredible diving stop on a hard-hit ground ball from Morgan Bernandini before firing across the diamond to Tianna Bell, who made an impressive tag on the play for the first out of the frame. Karlie Davison then made two great defensive plays at second base on a pop-up and a short-hop to complete a 1-2-3 inning. Faircloth retired the Hogs in order during the bottom of the third inning.
Nadia Barbary singled through the left side for the Bulldogs’ first hit of the contest with no outs in the top of the fourth. Xiane Romero followed with a leadoff walk before Burnham retired the next three batters while striking a pair of Bulldog batters to escape unscathed.
Dakota Kennedy singled up the middle with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Burnham retired her first two batters faced in the top of the fifth inning before Kinley Keller doubled into the left-center field gap. Johnson then made an impressive diving catch in shallow right-center field to rob Morgan Stiles of a base hit and preserve the Razorbacks’ lead.
Rijo laced a double in the right-center field gap to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning. Kailey Wyckoff then stepped to the plate and smashed a two-run home run over the wall in right field, increasing the Arkansas lead to three.
Burnham registered a 1-2-3 top of the sixth inning courtesy of a groundout and consecutive flyouts. Bell and Kennedy both singled in the bottom of the sixth inning to record their second hits of the contest.
In the top of the seventh inning, the Bulldogs’ Paige Ernstes singled to lead off the inning before issuing consecutive flyouts and a popout to finish the complete-game shutout.
NOTABLES
- Tianna Bell hit her team-leading 15th home run of the season. Her 15 home runs this season tie a single-season career high she set in 2025 at Cal.
- Payton Burnham tossed her fourth seven-inning complete game shutout of the season and her sixth of her career.
- Payton Burnham’s complete-game shutout was the first by an Arkansas pitcher in an SEC Tournament contest since Chenise Delce accomplished the feat (7 IP, 5 K, 2 H) during a 4-0 win over Missouri to give Arkansas the SEC Tournament Championship on May 14, 2022.
- Arkansas has won a game at the SEC Tournament in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1999-2001.
Up Next
The Razorbacks will be back in action tomorrow at approximately 1 p.m. CT when they take on No. 3/4 Alabama on SEC Network.
