Razorbacks Continue Run-Rule Dominance by Demolishing BYU, 11-1

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The No. 9 Arkansas Razorbacks continued its string of run-rule dominance by destroying BYU, 11-1 in five innings to improve to 7-1 on Saturday morning at the Bobcat Softball Stadium on the campus of Texas State University.

Arkansas took an early lead in the bottom of the second inning on Dakota Kennedy’s sacrifice fly before BYU tied the game in the top of the fourth inning courtesy of consecutive doubles. Arkansas then answered with a seven-run bottom of the fourth inning before Tianna Bell put the game away with a three-run home run to right field in the bottom of the fifth inning to complete the Hogs’ seventh run-rule win of the season.

Robyn Herron improved to 4-0 by pitching 2.1 innings of no-hit relief to go along with four strikeouts and a walk. Saylor Timmerman started for Arkansas and allowed just one run on four hits and a walk while striking out a batter in her 3.1 innings of work. Reagan Johnson led the Hogs with a 3-3 day at the plate while scoring two runs and registering a stolen base to go along with a walk. Brinli Bain (2-2, R, BB) and Karlie Davison (2-3, 2B, R, 2 RBI) also had multi-hit performances while Ella McDowell drove in a pair of runs with a fourth-inning single.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Freshman Saylor Timmerman made her second start of the season for Arkansas, while BYU turned to left-handed Jada Villegas.

The Cougars’ Lily Owens led off the game with a walk and then moved to second a batter later on a sacrifice bunt before advancing to third on a groundout. Owens would be stranded, however, as Timmerman induced a 1-3 groundout to keep BYU off the board.

Reagan Johnson registered the game’s first hit courtesy of a one-out single through the right side in the bottom of the first inning. Ella McDowell then hit a sharp ground ball up the middle that BYU second baseman Miranda Mansfield made an impressive diving stop on and flipped to second for a 4-6 fielder’s choice. Johnson was initially ruled safe at second base, but after review, the call was changed. Tianna Bell and Brinli Bain both reached on walks with two outs to load the bases before Villegas and BYU escaped the frame with a groundout.

Timmerman retired BYU in order during the top of the second inning by way of a strikeout and consecutive groundouts.

Atalyia Rijo hit a bloop single to center field with one out in the bottom of the second inning and then advanced to third on a single from Karlie Davison, which featured a throwing error when BYU shortstop Hailey Shuler attempted to throw out Rijo at second. Davison then moved to second on a passed ball before Dakota Kennedy brought home Rijo with a sacrifice fly down the left-field line.

BYU threatened during the top of the third inning with back-to-back one-out singles in the frame. A fielder’s choice moved both runners to second and third with two outs, but Arkansas and Timmerman escaped unscathed courtesy of a flyout to right field.

In the bottom of the third, Tianna Bell was hit by a pitch, and Bain singled to shortstop to start the inning, but the Hogs could not capitalize as Villegas retired the next three with consecutive flouts and a fielder’s choice.

BYU tied the game, 1-1, during the top of the fourth inning, courtesy of back-to-back doubles from Lexie Bennett and Maddie Udall-Woo. Following Udall-Woo’s one-out RBI double that scored Bennett, Robyn Herron relieved Timmerman in the circle and helped Arkansas escape the inning with back-to-back strikeouts.

Arkansas loaded the bases in the home half of the fourth inning courtesy of a fielding error, a Dakota Kennedy walk, and Johnson’s single up the middle. Ella McDowell then shot a single through the right side to put Arkansas ahead 3-1. A BYU error and groundouts from Kailey Wyckoff and Rijo pushed the lead to six before Davison crushed a double into the right-center field gap, plating two, which extended the Hogs’ lead to 8-1.

Herron only allowed a one-out walk in the top of the fifth inning while striking out two Cougars in the stanza.

In the bottom of the fifth, Johnson reached on a leadoff single, then moved to second on a walk from McDowell before Bell stepped to the plate and ended the run-rule victory with a three-run home run to right field, her second of the season, making it the final, 11-1, and securing the Hogs’ seventh run-rule win this season.

QUOTABLES

Arkansas Head Coach Courtney Deifel

On the win…
“I was encouraged by the effort we showed this morning in our win over BYU. We kept our composure early and competed at the plate throughout the lineup and it cycled back to us later in the contest and the results showed in both the fourth and fifth innings. Saylor Timmerman gave us a quality start and Robyn Herron was excellent in relief. We are looking to finish out this weekend on a positive note tomorrow.”

NOTABLES

• Arkansas’ seven wins have all come by run-rule this season as the Hogs are outscoring opponents 93-13.
• Reagan Johnson registered her 56th career stolen base to move into a tie for fourth all-time in program history alongside Blaire Perry (2002-2006). With three hits today, Johnson now has 234 in her career, which ranks second in program history. She needs 28 hits to break Hannah McEwen’s program record of 261.
• Arkansas is 674-105-1 when outhitting opponents since 1998 and 297-27 when doing so under Courtney Deifel.
• Freshman Brinli Bain extended her reached-base streak to eight games. She has now reached safely in all eight of her collegiate games.

Up Next

Arkansas’ schedule at the States Up! Invitational has been altered. The Hogs will now play Texas State at approximately 11:30 a.m. tomorrow, following the Wichita State vs. Clemson game at 9 p.m. The Razorbacks’ game against the Bobcats will feature a 3:15 p.m. drop-dead time.

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