Arkansas uses bat attack and Burnham’s pitching gem to blank No. 8 Tennessee 9-0

BY DUDLEY E. DAWSON

They may sell Yellawood in Tennessee, but Arkansas’ softball  team has clearly brought its own lumber to Knoxville this weekend.

Karlie Davison and Courtney Day both homered and Kaylie Wyckoff’s bases-loaded, bases-clearing double in the seventh was the dagger as the No. 16 Razorbacks routed No. 8 Tennessee 9-0 Sunday at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.

Arkansas (23-6, 3-5) got a great mound effort from freshman starting pitcher Payton Burnham (6-2, 2.23 ERA), who tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings to get the win, which clinched the series ahead of Monday’s 6 p.m. finale.

The Sunday victory combined with Saturday’s 6-3 decision in eight innings ended Tennessee’s string of 10 consecutive overall SEC series victories and 11 home series winning streak 2022.

The latter dated back to when the Vols (26-6, 2-3) lost to Arkansas and head coach Courtney Deifel’s  win in Knoxville in 2022.

“I thought our team was dialed from the very first pitch to the last,” Deifel said. “Payton was outstanding in the circle and our defense was nails behind her.

“Our offense was committed to the plan and was relentless. It is a tough place to come in and win the series. I’m really proud of the team.”

Reagan Johnson’ RBI single in second inning gave Arkansas a 1-0 lead, one that  grew to 4-0 in the third on Ataylia Rijo’s run-scoring double and Karlie Davison’s two-run homer.

It was Davison’s first home run in an Arkansas uniform after spending three years at Utah.

The Razorbacks then put the game way with a five-run seventh inning.

Day’s two-run homer got the outburst going while Johnson’s single plated another and Wyckoff’s three-run double capped the scoring.

Day, a former Texas star who sit out last season while coaching a high school team, has two home runs in as many games this weekend and 11 blasts and 42 RBIs overall this season.

“I was hunting a pitch to drive and testing the prep and game plan that we had coming into the game,” Day said. “… Coach (DJ) Gasso gave us their tendencies and we were just hunting specific pitches that we were looking for – be it up in the zone, down in the zone, hunting things we are comfortable hitting in the zone.”

Oregon native Burnham gave up three hits, fanned five and walked three while throwing 88 pitches.

She actually reentered the game to get the final out after Friday night winner Robyn Herron came out to pitch the seventh.

Photo courtesy of Razorbacks Communications