Complete team effort leads No. 9 Arkansas to 7-5 win at No. 2 Texas A&M

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The No. 9 Arkansas Razorbacks took the series opener with a 7-5 victory over No. 1/2 Texas A&M on Friday night at Davis Diamond, marking the Razorbacks’ first win over a No. 1 opponent (NFCA Poll) since 2012.

Arkansas’ previous wins against top-ranked opponents in the NFCA Poll occurred on Feb. 18, 2011, with a victory over UCLA and May 18, 2012, with a win at Cal in NCAA Regional play.

Arkansas used the long ball to account for four of its seven runs in the victory. Courtney Day opened the scoring by smashing a solo homer in the top of the second inning, her 14th round-tripper of the season. Arkansas then added two more runs during the frame courtesy of a throwing error and an RBI groundout from Raigan Kramer. Ella McDowell blasted a three-run home run off the scoreboard in left field in the top of the fifth inning before the Razorbacks added the seventh and final run of the victory courtesy of an error. 

McDowell (2-4, 2 R, HR, 3 RBI) paced the Razorbacks efforts at the plate. Raigan Kramer (2-4, R, RBI) and Karlie Davison (2-4, R) also registered multiple hits in the victory.

Robyn Herron was impressive during her 18th start of the season. The junior left-hander fanned four and allowed two earned runs on three hits and three walks in five innings pitched to improve to 15-4. Payton Burnham inherited a very tough situation with the score at 6-1 and the bases loaded with no outs in the sixth inning and would pitch the rest of the way, allowing two earned runs on three hits with one punchout in two innings pitched to earn her third save of the season.

Texas A&M ace Emiley Kennedy took the loss for the Aggies to fall to 16-4. She allowed six runs on six hits while striking out three in five innings.

The win also marked the 350th for head coach Courtney Deifel at Arkansas. Deifel is the winningest coach in program history, with a 350-174 record in her 10 seasons at the helm.

HOW IT HAPPENED

A lightning delay of nearly two hours pushed the first pitch back to 8:12 p.m. in place of the originally scheduled 6:02 p.m. start.

Robyn Herron made her 18th start of the season for Arkansas, while Texas A&M went with Emiley Kennedy.

Reagan Johnson led off the game by working a full count before singling up the middle off of Kennedy.  Bri Ellis was then hit by a pitch with one out, advancing Johnson to second. Johnson would later advance to third on a foul out before a 4-3 groundout ended the inning.

Kennedy Powell led off the bottom of the first with a single up the middle. Herron then got Amari Harper to strike out for the first out of the frame.

Powell stole second on the punchout of Harper. A groundout to Atalyia Rijo at shortstop moved Powell to third. Herron struck out Mac Barbara, who got caught looking at a changeup to end the inning.

Courtney Day gave the Razorbacks a 1-0 lead with a solo home run to center field to lead off the top of the second inning. Rijo and Davison would then reach base courtesy of an error and a single before Arkansas took a 3-0 lead on a throwing error that scored Rijo and an RBI groundout from Raigan Kramer.

Herron retired the Aggies in the bottom of the second.

Kennedy sat the Hogs down in order in the top of the third. Herron made it nine straight retired in the bottom half, highlighted by an impressive inning-ending play by Davison on a chopper at second base.

In the fourth inning, the pitching dominance continued on both sides as Barbara was the lone batter to reach in the frame on a walk.

Ella McDowell gave Arkansas a 6-0 lead on a three-run home run off the scoreboard with one out in the top of the fifth inning. Kramer and Ellis both scored on McDowell’s mammoth blast after reaching on singles.

Texas A&M got a run back in the bottom of the fifth courtesy of a three-base error and an RBI double from KK Dement.

Davison recorded her second hit of the night with a ground ball single up the middle to lead off the top of the sixth.

Texas A&M threatened with a walk from Amari Harper, a single from Mya Perez and a walk from Barbara to load the bases with no outs in the bottom of the sixth. Freshman Payton Burnham entered the game for Herron following the walk to Barbara. Burnham issued a 6-2 groundout for the first out of the frame as Rijo threw out Harper at the plate. Burnham then struck out the Aggies’ Allie Enright on three pitches for out No. 2. A&M then cut the Hogs’ lead to 6-3 on a two-run single to right field by Dement. Burnham got the next batter to pop out to end the inning and limit the damage.

In the top of the seventh, Raigan Kramer singled to lead off the inning. McDowell moved Kramer to second with a line drive single into left-center field. A two-out walk by Day loaded the bases for Rijo who would reach on an error from A&M pitcher Grace Sparks, which allowed everyone to advance safely and increased the Arkansas lead to 7-3.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Aggies’ Mya Perez hit a two-run home run to left field with two outs to make the score 7-5. Barbara followed with a walk, bringing the tying run to the plate in Koko Wooley, who would ground out to Davison at second for the game’s final out.

QUOTABLES

Arkansas Head Coach Courtney Deifel
On the game…
“It was a complete team win. It took what it took in the sense of scraping for some runs. We battled really well. It was a really gritty outing across the board. I am proud of our team to come into a lively environment and get a win.”

NOTABLES

Arkansas earned its third win in program history against a No. 1 ranked opponent in the NFCA Poll. The Razorbacks previously accomplished the feat on Feb. 18, 2011, with a victory over UCLA and May 18, 2012, with a win at Cal in NCAA Regional play.

Bri Ellis extended her reached-base streak to a career-long 20 games after being hit by a pitch in the top of the first inning. It is the longest reached-base streak by a Hog this season.

Arkansas is 26-6 when Robyn Herron pitches five or more innings in her collegiate career.

Head Coach Courtney Deifel earned her 350th win at Arkansas.

Ella McDowell registered her 17th career multi-hit game and her 13th career multi-RBI game.

Arkansas is now 34-2 when outhitting opponents this season and 283-27 when outhitting opponents under Courtney Deifel (since 2016).

UP NEXT
Arkansas (35-9, 11-8 SEC) will look to take the series tomorrow at 4 p.m. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+.