Long Ball Lifts Hogs to Victory Over No. 10 LSU in 12-9 Slugfest

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Behind a season-high four home runs, the No. 6/8 Arkansas Razorbacks slugged their way to a 12-9 series-opening victory over No. 10 LSU in a game full of theatrics on Thursday night at Bogle Park.

10 of the Bogle Bombers’ 12 runs came courtesy of the long ball. Bri Ellis tied Braxton Burnside’s single-season program home run record by smashing a two-run shot for her 25th round-tripper of the season to open the scoring in the bottom of the first. Kailey Wyckoff (two-run HR) and Kennedy Miller (three-run HR) also homered in the first inning, while Courtney Day added her 15th long ball of the season with a three-run shot in the bottom of the fifth.

Day led Arkansas with a 2-3 night that featured a double in addition to her homer, two runs scored, four RBI and a walk. Miller (2-3, HR, 3 RBI, BB, R) and Reagan Johnson (2-4, RBI, R, BB) also registered multiple hits for Arkansas in the victory. Ellis walked in her four other plate appearances following her 25th homer of the season, tying a career-high. Her average now sits at .495 while owning a 1.243 slugging percentage, a .655 on-base percentage, and a 1.898 OPS.

Both teams combined to use six pitchers and allowed 21 walks in the three-hour and seven-minute marathon. The contest was the Razorbacks’ longest seven-inning game since a 10-5 loss to Washington on Feb. 12, 2022, that took 3:09 during the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Robyn Herron earned her third save of the season after initially starting the game but then returning to close it out after two pitching changes. Herron allowed two runs on two hits and six walks while fanning three in 3.1 innings pitched. The starting pitcher must throw 4.0+ innings in a game of 6+ innings to be credited with a victory. Payton Burnham (3.0 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 4 BB) was credited with the win for Arkansas to improve to 12-2.

Arkansas jumped on LSU All-American pitcher Sydney Berzon, chasing her out of the game with two outs in the first inning after plating seven runs (four earned) on four hits, four walks, and two errors. Berzon fell to 17-6 with the loss.

HOW IT HAPPENED

In the circle, Robyn Herron made her 19th start of the season for Arkansas, while LSU went with Sydney Berzon for the 20th time.

Herron got the Tigers’ Danieca Coffey to fly out to Raigan Kramer in deep left field to open the game before issuing back-to-back walks to Jalia Lassiter and Maci Bergeron. Herron then struck out LSU slugger Tori Edwards for out No. 2. Following a walk to load the bases, Herron buckled down and issued a groundout to Ellis at first to escape the bases-loaded jam unscathed.

Reagan Johnson extended her reached-base streak to six games with a lead-off walk in the bottom of the first inning. With one out, Bri Ellis stepped to the plate and launched her single-season program record-tying 25th homer of the season with a two-run shot to left-center field, giving Arkansas an early lead. Ella McDowell singled to right field in the next at-bat and then scored on Kailey Wyckoff’s two-run homer to right to give Arkansas a 4-0 lead. Following a pair of errors, Kennedy Miller mashed a three-run homer to left to put Arkansas ahead 7-0.

LSU cut the Hogs’ lead to five by plating two runs on three walks, two hits and a sacrifice fly in the top of the second inning. Reis Beuerlein relieved Herron with one out in the inning.

A Courtney Day RBI double made it 8-2 Arkansas in the bottom of the second inning. Ellis scored on Day’s two-bagger after reaching on a walk.

LSU added three runs at the top of the third inning courtesy of an RBI pinch-hit single from Savanna Debell combined with a throwing error and an RBI groundout. Payton Burnham recorded all three outs in the frame after entering the circle in place of Beuerlein with no outs and the bases loaded.

Arkansas loaded the bases in the bottom of the third but had nothing to show for it. Miller singled in the inning while Ellis and Kramer both walked.

Three walks loaded the bases for LSU in the fourth inning, but Burnham was able to escape a one-out bases-loaded jam with a fielder’s choice and a flyout.

Johnson increased the Arkansas lead to 9-6 with an RBI single through the right side in the bottom half that scored Ramsey Walker, who pinch-ran for Courtney Day.

In the top of the fifth, LSU plated three runs courtesy of a Jalia Lassiter solo homer and a two-run double from Jaydn Leneaux, which made it a 9-8 ballgame.

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Ellis drew her third walk of the game. Wyckoff also walked with one out to put two on for Courtney Day who would deliver with a three-run round-tripper to left-center field, her 15th of the season to put Arkansas ahead 12-8.

There was no shortage of theatrics in the top of the sixth inning. LSU second baseman Sierra Daniel laid down a bunt single to reach first base to lead off the inning. However, Daniel dropped her bat on the ball in fair territory, so Arkansas head coach Courtney Deifel reviewed the play. Following the review, the umpires concluded that the bat did hit the ball, but the play was not reviewable, so Daniel remained on first. Danieca Coffey then singled to left-center field to put two runners on with no outs. Following the single, Herron reentered the game at pitcher with a save situation as the potential tying run stood in the on-deck circle. Lassiter would walk to load the bases with no outs. Herron would then throw one pitch to LSU catcher Macie Bergeron before Arkansas assistant Matt Meuchel and LSU head coach Beth Torina participated in a footrace to home plate umpire Cameron Ellison to speak about Bergeron not being officially resubstituted into the game after being pinch-ran for in the top of the fifth inning. Meuchel beat Torina to Ellison and alerted him of the Tigers’ failure to reenter Bergeron, which resulted in her being called out for the first out of the inning. LSU made it 12-9 with a sacrifice fly to right field from Edwards before Herron issued a ground out to end the inning with only minor damage.

Miller and Ellis both walked in the bottom of the sixth for Arkansas. The walk was Ellis’ fourth of the game.

Herron completed the save by throwing a scoreless seventh inning, allowing just one runner to reach on a single to left field with two outs before issuing a groundout to shortstop to end the game.

QUOTABLES

Arkansas Head Coach Courtney Deifel

On the game…
“We just showed a ton of fight. It was one of the craziest, wildest, ugliest softball games that I have ever been a part of. At the end of an ugly game, you just want to walk away with a win. They count the same. You get to keep it even if it is ugly we do not have to give it back. The most recognizable trait that I saw in our team tonight was our fight.”

NOTABLES

• The 3:07 game duration was the longest this season for Arkansas for a seven-inning game.
• Bri Ellis hit her 25^th homer of the season with a two-run blast in the bottom of the first.
• Bri Ellis extended her reached-base streak to a career-long 23 games.
• Courtney Day extended her reached-base streak to 10 games while blasting her 15^th homer of the season.
• Bri Ellis tied a single-game career high with four walks. She previously accomplished the feat on April 30, 2023, while at Auburn.
• Arkansas is now 221-3 when scoring eight or more runs since 2002 and are currently on a 92-game winning streak when doing so.
• The Razorbacks hit a season-high four home runs which is the most by an Arkansas team since March 16, 2024, when they accomplish the feat in a win at Auburn.
• Arkansas is now 36-2 when outhitting opponents this season and 285-27 when outhitting opponents under Courtney Deifel (since 2016).

UP NEXT
Arkansas (37-10, 13-9 SEC) will look to take the series against LSU (39-12, 11-11 SEC) tomorrow night at 6 p.m.

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