Arkansas takes 5-3 win over visiting Kentucky to open three-game SEC softball series

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Behind strong pitching and timely hitting, the No. 12/14 Arkansas Razorbacks defeated Kentucky 5-3 for a series-opening victory on Friday evening at Bogle Park.

Arkansas wasted no time getting on the board by plating four runs in the first, courtesy of a pair of two-run doubles from right fielder Kailey Wyckoff and shortstop Atalyia Rijo.

Kentucky cut the Hogs’ lead to 4-3 with a three-run home run from left-fielder Allie Blum in the top of the fifth inning.

Utility player Courtney Day provided insurance in the bottom of the fifth with a sacrifice fly to center field that scored the fifth and final run in the Razorbacks’ 5-3 victory.

Wyckoff led the Razorbacks (24-7, 4-6 SEC) with a 2-3 effort at the dish that featured two RBI and a run scored. Reagan Johnson (2-4, 1 R) also collected a multi-hit night. Raigan Kramer (1-3, HBP) recorded a hit in addition to Wyckoff, Johnson and Rijo.

Arkansas freshman right-handed pitcher Payton Burnham improved to 7-2 after striking out five and allowing three runs on six hits and three walks in 4.1 innings. Robyn Herron then took it the rest of the way by pitching 2.2 shutout innings, which featured two strikeouts and just one hit and two walks allowed to earn her first career save.

Julie Kelley took the loss for Kentucky (21-13, 5-5 SEC) after allowing four runs on two hits and two walks in 0.1 innings of work.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Freshman Payton Burnham made the start for Arkansas, while Kentucky went with freshman Julie Kelley.

Ally Hutchins singled by driving a 3-2 pitch from Burnham into left-center field to lead off the game for Kentucky.  Allie Blum then followed with a single to shortstop before both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt. Burnham then fanned the next two batters to escape the jam.

In the bottom of the first inning, Raigan Kramer and Bri Ellis were hit by a pitch with one out in the frame. Courtney Day then walked to load the bases. Kailey Wyckoff gave Arkansas a 2-0 lead with a double to left field that drove home Kramer and Ellis. Atalyia Rijo followed one batter later with a two-run double to left-center field that pushed the Hogs’ lead to four. Kelley would be pulled with one out in the frame and replaced by Alexia Laceneta, who would take it the rest of the way, allowing just one run on four hits and a walk while striking out two.

Two Wildcats reached on a pair of walks in the second inning but would account for the only baserunners in the stanza as Burnham picked up her third and fourth punchouts of the contest.

In the third, neither team would push a run across. Kentucky had two baserunners reach courtesy of a double and an infield single to account for the inning’s only offensive action.

Burnham and Lacatena both registered 1-2-3 innings in the fourth. Burnham picked up her fifth and final strikeout of the night in the top half of the inning.

Kentucky made it a one-run ballgame in the top of the fifth, courtesy of a three-run home run from Blum.  Following the round-tripper and a one-out walk by Peyton Plotts, Arkansas head coach Courtney Deifel made a pitching change and brought in Robyn Herron. Herron would fan her first batter before issuing a walk, which put runners on first and second with two outs. She would then issue a popout to Ella McDowell at third base to keep the lead intact.

In the bottom of the fifth, Reagan Johnson singled down the left field line and Kramer singled to the pitcher to start the inning. Johnson would then advance to third base on a long flyout by Bri Ellis to the warning track in right-center field. Johnson would come around to score on a sacrifice fly to center field by Courtney Day, extending the Hogs’ lead to 5-3. Wyckoff also added a single through the right side following Day’s sacrifice fly.

Kentucky threatened with two outs in the top of the sixth inning with a single and a walk but would come up empty-handed as Herron issued an inning-ending groundout.

Carlee Ratcliff drew a pinch-hit walk and Johnson reached on an infield single in the bottom of the sixth.

In the seventh, Herron got Plotts to fly out to Kramer in left field for the first out of the frame. Cassie Reasner then stepped to the plate and hit a major-league popup in-between first and second base that fell out of Ellis’ mitt and looked to be heading toward the dirt before second baseman Karlie Davison came out of nowhere to make an incredible diving catch to record the out. Herron then got the Wildcats’ Madyson Clark to ground out to Davison to wrap up the series-opening victory and earn her first save of her career.

QUOTABLES
Arkansas Head Coach Courtney Deifel

On Kailey Wyckoff and Atalyia Rijo’s two-run doubles…
“It gave us a ton of confidence. We had some big hits and some big at-bats just taking what Kentucky gave us. It is really nice to grab that momentum early and then we just kind of sat on it. It was really good at the end of the night to have a win. I feel like we grinded. We fired early and just kind of got into a grind and never flowed again, but we fought and found a way to win.”

NOTABLES

Kailey Wyckoff improved her hitting streak to 10 games and her reached-base streak to 16 games.

Kailey Wyckoff registered her 36th career multi-hit game and 23rd career multi-RBI game.

Atalyia Rijo recorded her 10th career multi-RBI game and Reagan Johnson registered her team-leading 56th career multi-hit game.

Arkansas is now 19-2 when not committing an error this season.

The Hogs earned their first win of the season when being outhit by an opponent. They are now 1-5 when doing so.

Arkansas now leads the all-time series with Kentucky, 38-28 and owns a 21-13 advantage in games played in Fayetteville.

UP NEXT
The Razorbacks will look to take the series tomorrow at 4 p.m. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+ with Josh Haley (PxP) and Sydney Parr Lee (Analyst) on the call. Before the first pitch on Saturday, Arkansas will honor senior Courtney Day. The SEC softball community will again be united tomorrow when all 15 teams participate in the league’s fifth annual “All for Alex” weekend to honor the legacy of Mississippi State’s Alex Wilcox.

Photo courtesy of Razorbacks Communications