Hogs Top Georgia 7-6 to Even Series 

BOX SCORE: PDF| SEASON STATS: Season Stats

FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas – The No. 7/9 Arkansas Razorbacks improved to 20-2 overall and evened up their SEC opening series with Georgia at 1-1 courtesy of a gutsy 7-6 win over the No. 12/15 Bulldogs on Saturday night in softball at Bogle Park.

Arkansas took an early 4-0 lead in the first inning by way of a Tianna Bell grand slam before Georgia answered with four runs in the top of the second courtesy of a two-run single and a two-run home run by Keirstin Roose. The Hogs would then take the lead for good with two runs in the third inning courtesy of an Atalyia Rijo single and a Kennedy Miller sacrifice fly. A solo home run from the Bulldogs’ Bailey Lindemuth made it a one-run game in the top of the fifth inning before Ella McDowell increased the Hogs’ lead to 7-5 with an RBI double in the bottom half. Georgia threatened in the seventh inning by adding a run on a two-out single to put runners on the corners with two outs. Robyn Herron then entered the circle and picked up her second save of the season by inducing a 5-3 groundout for the final out of the victory.

Bell led the Hogs by going 2-4 with four RBI, all coming on her grand slam. McDowell (2-3, R, RBI, BB) and Dakota Kennedy (2-3, R, BB) also highlighted the Razorbacks at the plate. Kennedy reached the 200 career hits mark in the victory by way of a fourth-inning infield single. 

Payton Burnham earned the victory in the circle and improved to 5-1 after pitching a very solid 4.1 innings of relief in which she allowed two hits on five runs while striking out one.

Georgia’s Ada Little took the loss to fall to 2-1 after allowing two runs on four walks in 1.1 innings pitched.

How it Happened

Cam Harrison earned her fifth start of the season for Arkansas, while the Bulldogs’ Maddie Johnson made her third start of the season.

In the top of the first, Harrison spun a scoreless frame while allowing just a two-out single to the Bulldogs’ Sarah Gordon. 

Reagan Johnson, Dakota Kennedy and Ella McDowell led off the bottom of the first inning with consecutive walks to load the bases. Tianna Bell then opened the scoring by crushing a tape-measure grand slam over the wall in center field, giving Arkansas a 4-0 lead. Brinli Bain later followed by getting hit by a pitch to increase her reached-base streak to 22 games.

Georgia tied the game in the top of the second inning, courtesy of a two-run single from Bailey Lindemuth followed by a two-run home run from Kierstin Roose.

Kennedy Miller and Reagan Johnson both walked in the bottom of the second inning to account for the Razorbacks’ offensive action. Following the walk by Miller, Ada Little relieved Johnson in the circle.

Harrison retired the leadoff batter in the top of the third inning with a groundout to second base before Tyler Ellison singled up the middle. Following Ellison’s single, Burnham relieved Harrison and promptly issued a 5-4-3 ground-ball double play to escape the frame unscathed. 

Arkansas took a 6-4 lead in the bottom of the third inning. Bain, Kailey Wyckoff and Bell all walked to load the bases with one out. Following Bell’s walk, Georgia made a pitching change and turned to Destin Howard. Atalyia Rijo then gave Arkansas a 5-4 lead with an RBI single up the middle before Kennedy Miller drove in another run with a sacrifice fly to right field. 

Burnham retired Georgia in order in the top of the fourth inning courtesy of consecutive flyouts and a lineout.

In the bottom of the fourth, Arkansas loaded the bases with no outs courtesy of singles from Dakota Kennedy, McDowell and Bell. Following Bell’s single, Georgia brought in right-hander Presley Harrison, who would escape the bases-loaded jam courtesy of a strikeout, popout and fielder’s choice.

In the top of the fifth inning, Georgia cut the Hogs’ lead to 6-5 on a solo home run to left-center field from Bailey Lindemuth.

Arkansas answered in the bottom of the fifth inning. Rijo led off the frame with a walk and later advanced to second on a Dakota Kennedy single to left-center field. McDowell then brought home Rijo by lacing a double into the left-center field gap to make it 7-5.

A Georgia two-out single in the top half and Brinli Bain drawing a walk and Kailey Wyckoff getting hit by a pitch in the bottom half accounted for the only offensive action in the sixth inning.

The Bulldogs did not go down quietly in the top of the seventh inning. Burnham retired her first two batters faced with a strikeout and a flyout before Kierstin Roose singled through the left side and Jaydyn Goodwin doubled to left center field to put runners on second and third. Sarah Gordon then brought home a run with a ground ball single deep in the hole at shortstop that Rijo made an impressive diving stop on to stop the tying run from scoring. Robyn Herron entered in place of Burnham with runners on the corner following the single and would get the Bulldogs’ Tyler Ellison to groundout to Ella McDowell at third base for the final out of the contest as Arkansas secured a gutsy 7-6 victory to tie the series.