Arkansas defeats No. 1 Oklahoma for first time in 17 years to tie series
Arkansas used Friday’s tough Game 1 loss to No. 1 Oklahoma as a launching pad to the first victory over the Sooners (41-6, 14-3 SEC) since April of 2009 in a 3-2 win on Saturday night at Love’s Field in Norman, Oklahoma.
The fifth-ranked Razorbacks (36-7, 11-6 SEC) escaped with the one run victory after falling by one in the opener in which they matched the Sooners’ eight hits, but a seventh inning rally fell short. It was the first win over a top-ranked team since 2012 and third in program history.
Ace southpaw Robyn Herron entered Saturday’s matchup in relief of Payton Burnham (5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K) with one out in the sixth inning after OU sensation Kendall Wells deposited her ongoing freshman record 33rd home run high over the far left field wall on a full count.
Herron got Ella Parker swinging, then Gabbie Garcia fouled out to end the inning. The Tampa (Fla.) native followed that by sitting down the Sooners in order to seal the massive victory.
Kennedy Miller put the Hogs on the board first with a two out RBI double in the second inning that scored Kailey Wyckoff. Isabela Emerling tied the game at one with a leadoff homer to left field in the fifth, but Arkansas punched back in the sixth.
After Ella McDowell wore a pitch from Sydney Berzon to start the frame, Tianna Bell smashed a first pitch two-run homer over left center. That was Bell’s 14th bomb of the season, tying Dakota Kennedy for the team lead.
Kennedy, who arrived with Bell as Arkansas’ additional transfer portal haul in the offseason, missed her first game of the year after suffering an apparent leg injury during the fifth inning of Friday’s game. Freshman Kyler Del Duca got her first collegiate start in left field in place of Kennedy, but only played defense and Cam Harrison was the designated player in the 8-hole.
The Razorbacks will try to take a series over the Sooners for the first time ever in Sunday’s rubber match with first pitch set for 1 p.m. CT and it will stream on SEC Network+.
NOTABLES
- Reagan Johnson registered her 205th start batting leadoff, which tied the career program record set by Devon Wallace, 205 (2012-2015).
- Payton Burnham improved to 10-3 this season after striking out three and allowing just two runs on four hits and no walks in 5.1 innings. Arkansas is now 22-6 when a starting pitcher goes 5+ innings without allowing a walk.
- Tianna Bell blasted her 46th career home run and 14th home run this season with a two-run shot in the top of the sixth inning. Bell is now tied for the team lead in home runs alongside Dakota Kennedy.
- Kyler Del Duca recorded her first collegiate start, batting eighth and playing left field.
- Kennedy Miller increased her career-high reached base streak to 11 games.
- Arkansas is 148-41 since 2001, when its pitching staff issues no walks in a game. The Razorbacks are 94-18 when issuing no walks under head coach Courtney Deifel (2016-present). Arkansas has won 20 of its last 21 when issuing zero walks dating back to April 6, 2023.
- Arkansas snapped Oklahoma’s 31-game home winning streak, which was the longest active winning streak in the nation entering the contest.
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