Hogs Upended by Rebels, 9-3
OXFORD, Miss. – The No. 10 Arkansas Razorbacks fell to No. 25 Ole Miss, 9-3, during the second game of a three-game series on Saturday evening at the Ole Miss Softball Stadium.
A five-run bottom of the second inning for Ole Miss, which featured three unearned runs, five hits, and a costly error, proved to be the difference maker in the loss for the Razorbacks.
Karlie Davison had a successful night at the plate, tying a career-high with three hits in a 3-3 effort that included a double and triple. Bri Ellis went 2-3 with two RBI courtesy of a first-inning single and a fifth-inning home run, the 60th of her collegiate career. Kailey Wyckoff, Raigan Kramer and Kennedy Miller also registered hits in the loss.
Freshman Cam Harrison highlighted the Razorbacks in the circle by throwing three scoreless innings of relief while allowing three hits and three walks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Freshman Payton Burnham made her sixth start of the season for Arkansas, while Ole Miss went with Baylor transfer Aliyah Binford.
Kailey Wyckoff doubled down the left field line with one out in the top of the first for the first hit of the contest. She later came around to score on an RBI single from Bri Ellis, giving Arkansas an early 1-0 advantage.
Payton Burnham struck out the Rebels’ Taylor Malvin to start the bottom half. Ole Miss designated player Lair Beautae reached on a throwing error but would not get farther than first base as Burnham issued a strikeout and popout to complete the no-hit frame.
The Hogs were retired in order in the top of the second.
Ole Miss had back-to-back singles from Lexie Brady and Mackenzie Pickens to lead off the bottom of the second. Tenly Grisham then singled to center field to load the bases with no outs. Atalyia Rijo made a 6-2 putout on a runner heading home by making a nice play on a short-hop for the first out of the inning. Ole Miss took a 2-1 lead on a two-run double from Jaden Pone. A throwing error allowed another run to cross before a two-out, two-run single made it 5-1 in favor of the Rebels. Of the five runs plated, only three were earned.
Karlie Davison doubled into right-center field to lead off the third inning. Reagan Johnson followed with a walk to increase her reached-base streak to 10 games. Both runners advanced on a groundout. Courtney Day then drew a walk to load the bases with two outs, but Binford and Ole Miss escaped without allowing a run by getting an inning-ended flyout to center field.
Brady added an insurance run with a leadoff solo home run in the bottom of the third.
Kennedy Miller lined a single to right field with two outs in the top of the fourth inning. Davison followed with a single through the left side to put two on, but Binford would escape by issuing a strikeout one batter later.
Ole Miss added four more runs in the bottom of the fourth courtesy of three hits and three walks.
Bri Ellis smashed a solo home run with one out in the top of the fifth inning to cut the lead to 9-2. Cam Harrison then registered a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom half courtesy of a pair of groundouts and a foul out.
With two outs in the top of the sixth, Davison tripled off the wall in right field for her third hit of the night, tying a single-game career-high. Johnson also reached on a two-out walk.
Brady tripled down the left field line with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Ellis led off the top of the seventh with a walk before Courtney Day and Raigan Kramer loaded the bases with back-to-back singles. Ella McDowell made it 9-3 with an RBI fielder’s choice. Binford would issue a 4-6-3 double play to end the game and clinch the series for the Rebels.
Burnham (3 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K) took the loss for Arkansas, falling to 5-2 on the season, while Binford (7 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 7 K) improved to 4-0 for Ole Miss.
NOTABLES
- Reagan Johnson extended her reached-base streak to 10 games.
- Karlie Davison tied a single-game career high with three hits.
- Bri Ellis hit her 60th career home run, tying Danielle Gibson-Whorton 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.
UP NEXT
The Razorbacks will close out the series against the Rebels tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
For schedule updates and other news, go to ArkansasRazorbacks.com, or follow @RazorbackSB on X, Instagram and Facebook.
