No. 13 Arkansas takes rubber match from No. 2 Florida
The Gators decided that Bri Ellis was not going to beat them on Sunday, so the rest of the Razorbacks’ lineup did. Ella McDowell, Kailey Wyckoff and Atalyia Rijo combined for seven RBIs in No. 13 Arkansas softball won the series rubber match 9-5 over No. 2 Florida.
The back-and-forth battle started early on Sunday. Arkansas scored a pair against Florida starter Katelynn Oxley via Wyckoff’s two-out, two-run double. Arkansas starter Reis Beuerlein had her own issues in the first, walking the bases loaded before exiting for Cam Harrison. Harrison made her own mistake as Reagan Walsh blasted a grand slam to make it 4-2.
After intentionally walking Ellis for the second time, McDowell cashed in. The freshman third baseman hit a ball deep into the left field center gap for an RBI double. However, Oxley limited the damage to one to maintain the lead.
McDowell was given another chance in the fifth. Florida put Ellis on again despite walking the previous batter as well. This time McDowell lined one into the right field gap to tie the game and put two runners in scoring position. Wyckoff brought in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly. Rijo doubled in a run to extend the lead to 6-4.
Top 10
- 1Breaking
Pop Isaacs
Creighton guard commits to Houston
- 2
Final AP Poll
Basketball Top 25 released
- 3Hot
Way-Too-Early Top 25
Looking ahead to 2025-26 hoops
- 4
Nick Saban
Nominated for Emmy
- 5Trending
Hailey Van Lith
Stuns as SI Swimsuit cover model
Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
Harrison settled in after giving home run grand slam, outside of a solo shot by Jocelyn Erickson in the fifth, she kept putting out zeros. Although she had help from Reagan Johnson. Taylor Shumaker smoked a ball to center field in the bottom of the sixth but Johnson leaped and stole what would’ve been a three-run homer. Harrison recorded every out but one for Arkansas and even picked up an RBI single at the plate in the Razorbacks’ three-run seventh inning. She went 6.2 innings, allowing two runs on six hits and striking out five.
Arkansas has now won three straight SEC series and returns home to host South Carolina next weekend. Florida will hit to road to visit Stetson and Ole Miss, hoping to bounce back from a 1-3 week.
Softball America April Position Power Rankings
P | C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF | UTL
