No. 6/8 Hogs Blast No. 15/13 Mississippi State, 10-3 to Take Series

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Behind 13 hits, including solo home runs by Kailey Wyckoff and Kennedy Miller, the No. 6/8 Arkansas Softball team defeated No. 15/13 Mississippi State, 10-3, to win the rubber match and take the series on Sunday afternoon at Nusz Park on the campus of Mississippi State.

With the win, Arkansas is now 35-6 this season and 10-5 in SEC play. Arkansas has won four of five SEC series this season.

Dakota Kennedy (3-3, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2B, 2 BB), Brinli Bain (2-4), Tianna Bell (2-4, 2 RBI), and Karlie Davison (2-4, R) all recorded multiple hits in the victory. Ella McDowell also went 1-2 with three walks. Wyckoff and Miller both smashed solo home runs in the top of the fifth inning to give Arkansas a 5-3 lead that the Hogs would not relinquish. Arkansas then added two runs in the sixth inning and three in the seventh to make it the final 10-3.

Robyn Herron improved to 12-3 on the season after allowing just one run on three hits and a walk while striking out three batters in her four innings of work. Payton Burnham earned her third save of the season by spinning 2.2 perfect innings while striking out three Bulldogs.

With the win, Robyn Herron earned her 50th career victory, becoming just the seventh pitcher in program history to accomplish the feat at Arkansas alongside Mary Haff (97, 2018-22), Heather Schlichtman (73, 2001-2004), Tammy Kincaid (72, 1997-2000), Autumn Storms (66, 2017-2021), Katy Henry (56, 2005-2008), and Rachel Talley (52, 1999, 2002)

Peja Goold fell to 10-4 on the season after allowing five runs on nine hits and four walks while striking out two in 4.1 innings. With the loss, Mississippi State is now 34-11 with a 6-9 mark in league games.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Both teams turned to their aces for the series finale as Arkansas started Robyn Herron and Mississippi State went with Peja Goold.

Reagan Johnson led off the game by slapping a 3-2 pitch through the left side for a single before moving to second on a groundout. Ella McDowell gave Arkansas a 1-0 lead with a bloop single to right field that scored Johnson from second base. Dakota Kennedy then singled through the right side for a base hit, moving McDowell to second. Tianna Bell then singled to center field, and a Mississippi State fielding error allowed McDowell to score from second base. Kailey Wyckoff increased the Hogs’ lead to 3-0 by hitting into a fielder’s choice to bring home Dakota Kennedy.

Mississippi State cut the Arkansas lead to 3-1 courtesy of a solo home run from Nadia Barbary with two outs in the bottom of the first inning.

With two outs in the top of the second inning, Brinli Bain singled through the right side before McDowell and Dakota Kennedy drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. Goold would escape unscathed, however, with a groundout to third base.

Herron would record her second strikeout of the game before Morgan Bernandini doubled to right-center field with one out in the bottom of the second inning, but that was all the Bulldogs would get.

Atalyia Rijo was the lone batter to reach base for either team in the third inning as she was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame.

In the top of the fourth inning, Brinli Bain singled for the second time in the contest, and Dakota Kennedy walked. Mississippi State tied the game in the bottom of the fourth courtesy of an RBI single from Morgan Bernandini and an RBI double from Taylor Troutman. Timmerman relieved Herron to face four batters before Herron returned to the circle.

Arkansas took a 5-3 lead in the top of the fifth inning courtesy of a pair of solo home runs from Kailey Wyckoff and Kennedy Miller.

Following a flyout and a walk in the bottom of the fifth, Payton Burnham entered the circle and would remain in the circle for the remainder of the game. McDowell would turn a massive unassisted double play at third base to end the inning. Following Burnham heading to the circle, Herron would play the next 1.2 innings in right field for Arkansas for the first time in her career.

McDowell walked to lead off the top of the sixth and moved to third on a double from Dakota Kennedy. McDowell and Kennedy would each score courtesy of a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly to increase the Arkansas lead to 7-3.

Burnham would retire the Bulldogs in order during the home half, courtesy of a pair of flyouts and a strikeout.

Karlie Davison laid down a bunt single to lead off the top of the seventh before taking second and third on wild pitches. Reagan Johnson followed with a walk and a stolen base before McDowell drew a walk to load the bases. Both Davison and Johnson scored on a two-run single from Dakota Kennedy. Tianna Bell then added the 10th and final run of the contest with a single up the middle.

Burnham closed out the contest in the bottom of the seventh by registering a 1-2-3 inning to record her third save of the season.

NOTABLES

• Reagan Johnson registered her 203^rd start batting leadoff, which is the second-most in program history, trailing only Devon Wallace, 205 (2012-2015).
• Arkansas is now Arkansas is 304-9 when scoring eight or more runs all-time, including a 171-1 mark during the Courtney Deifel era (2016-present).
• Robyn Herron earned her 50th career victory, becoming just the seventh pitcher in program history to accomplish the feat at Arkansas alongside Mary Haff (97, 2018-22), Heather Schlichtman (73, 2001-2004), Tammy Kincaid (72, 1997-2000), Autumn Storms (66, 2017-2021), Katy Henry (56, 2005-2008), and Rachel Talley (52, 1999, 2002)
• Robyn Herron saw her first career action in right field during the fifth and sixth innings.
• Arkansas has turned 31 double plays this season, to break the single-season program record of 29 set in 1999.

Up Next

The Razorbacks will travel to Norman, Okla., next weekend (April 17-19) for a three-game series with the Oklahoma Sooners.

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