No. 7/9 Hogs Fall in SEC Opener to 12/15 Georgia, 7-2

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The No. 7/9 Arkansas Razorbacks fell to Georgia, 7-2 in the SEC Opener on Friday afternoon at Bogle Park, to drop to 19-2 (0-1 SEC) on the season.

Georgia (19-5, 1-0 SEC) took an early 1-0 lead with a solo home run by Jaydyn Goodwin before adding five runs on five hits, an error and one walk in the top of the third inning before the Bulldogs’ Tyler Ellison added the seventh and final run of the contest with a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning. Arkansas got on the board courtesy of a two-run home run from Ella McDowell with one out in the bottom of the third. The two-run blast was McDowell’s fifth of the season.

McDowell headlined Arkansas offensively with a 3-3 performance that also featured a double, a single and a walk in addition to her round-tripper. Karlie Davison, Reagan Johnson and Kailey Wyckoff also added singles in the loss. Freshman Brinli Bain extended her reached base streak to 21 games with a third-inning walk. Johnson and Tianna Bell also added walks in the loss, while Atalyia Rijo was hit by a pitch.

Freshman Saylor Timmerman was solid in relief for Arkansas, allowing just one run on six hits and two walks in 4.2 innings pitched. Robyn Herron (2.1 IP, 6 R, 5 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 3 K) took the loss for Arkansas to 8-1 on the season. The Bulldogs’ (19-5) Randi Roelling improved to 8-3 with the victory, with a complete-game performance that featured eight strikeouts and two runs allowed on six hits and a walk.

How it Happened

Herron earned the start for Arkansas, while Georgia went with left-hander Randi Roelling.

In the top of the first inning, Herron retired her first two batters faced with a groundout and a strikeout before the Bulldogs’ Tyler Ellison gave Georgia a 1-0 lead with a solo home run to center field. Following the solo homer, Georgia loaded the bases with a pair of walks and a single, but Herron would escape the jam with a strikeout to preserve the one-run ballgame.

McDowell recorded the Hogs’ first hit of the game with a double into the gap in right-center field with two outs in the bottom of the first inning.

Herron retired Georgia in order in the top of the second courtesy of a lineout, flyout, and the ultra-rare 1-4-3 groundout. In the home half, Davison drove a 3-2 pitch into left field for a two-out single before Atalyia Rijo was hit by a pitch, but Roelling would escape unscathed courtesy of a ground out to first base.

Georgia increased its lead to six in the top of the third inning by plating five runs courtesy of four singles, a double, a walk, and an error. Saylor Timmerman would relieve Herron with one out in the inning. In the home half, Reagan Johnson walked and was replaced at first base by Dakota Kennedy, who hit into a fielder’s choice. McDowell then stepped to the plate and drove a two-run home run over the wall in center field, cutting the visitors’ lead to 6-2. Following McDowell’s homer, Bain walked to increase her reached-base streak to 21 games.

Tyler Ellison would make it a 7-2 ball game with a solo home run to left-center field with two outs in the top of the fourth inning. Roelling retired the Hogs in order in the home half while picking up a pair of strikeouts.

Timmerman and Roelling would finish their respective days by allowing no runs over the final three frames of the day.

In the top of the fifth, Georgia would muster three hits but have nothing to show for it, highlighted by a 4-6-3 double play for the first two outs of the frame. Following a pair of singles and a wild pitch that allowed both runners to advance to second and third, Timmerman then issued an inning-ending groundout. In the bottom of the fifth, McDowell and Bell would both walk with two outs, but that would be all the Hogs would get.

In the top of the sixth inning, Georgia put a pair of runners on courtesy of consecutive walks with one out. The top half of the frame was highlighted by a 6-3 double play from Atalyia Rijo to end the inning. Kailey Wyckoff singled to second base with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning.

The Bulldogs’ Gabi Novickas singled to lead off the top of the seventh before Timmerman retired the next three by way of groundouts. In the bottom of the seventh inning, Reagan Johnson and McDowell would both reach on singles with one and two outs, respectively but Roelling would end the contest by registering her eighth and final strikeout.

NOTABLES

• The Razorbacks’ winning streak of 17 games was snapped. The win-streak marked the second-longest in program history, trailing only a 19-game winning streak in 2019. It marked the 11^th season in program history in which the Hogs have recorded a winning streak of 10+ games.
• Freshman Brinli Bain extended her reached-base streak to 21 games. She has now reached safely in all 21 of her collegiate games. She is the first freshman to reach in the first 21 games of her career in program history.
• Reagan Johnson now has 249 career hits. Johnson needs 13 more hits to break the all-time Arkansas career hits record, held by Hannah McEwen (261)

Up Next

The Razorbacks will look to even the series with Georgia tomorrow at 5 p.m. The contest will be streamed on SEC Network+.

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