Skip to main content

No. 7 Arkansas Run-Rules No. 6 South Carolina, Keeps Momentum Rolling

by:Cooper Taylor•04/11/25
Screenshot 2025-04-11 at 11.26.29 PM
Courtesy of Arkansas Athletics

Arkansas run-ruled South Carolina 10-2 in six innings Friday night behind a complete-game, nine-strikeout performance from Robyn Herron and nine free passes issued by the Gamecock pitching staff.

South Carolina struck first, plating a run in the opening frame. After Quincee Lilio walked and Karley Shelton singled, Lilio scored from second on a fielder’s choice with heads-up baserunning. Despite a pair of free passes from starter Jori Heard to begin the game, a double play ended the Razorbacks’ threat, and the Gamecocks held a 1-0 lead heading to the second.

The lead doubled an inning later. Ella Chancey led off with a double, and after Brooke Blankenship drew a walk on a passed ball, she stole second base. The throw allowed Chancey to swipe home and put South Carolina ahead 2-0. Herron responded by striking out back-to-back batters to strand Blankenship at third.

Herron settled in after that, striking out two to end the third. Arkansas got on the board in the home half when Reagan Johnson reached on an infield single, and after a walk and a fielder’s choice loaded the bases, Ella McDowell drove in a run with a groundout. Sam Gress replaced Heard and struck out Kailey Wyckoff to end the inning.

Herron tossed a scoreless fourth and fifth, retiring five straight at one point and adding to her strikeout total. In the bottom of the fifth, the Razorbacks erupted. Three consecutive walks to open the inning loaded the bases for McDowell, who ripped a bases-clearing double to left center to give Arkansas a 4-2 lead. Courtney Day followed with a two-out RBI double, and Atalyia Rijo tripled in another run, extending the Razorbacks’ lead to 6-2.

In the sixth, Herron continued her dominance with another shutout inning. Kadie Becker took over for Gress but ran into trouble. After walking Kennedy Miller, Becker retired the next two batters before issuing an intentional walk to Bri Ellis. McDowell battled through an eight-pitch at-bat and delivered an RBI single. Wyckoff followed with a run-scoring double, and Day ended it with a two-run single to walk off South Carolina, 10-2.

Game 2 of the series is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET Saturday on SEC Network. Arkansas will look to clinch its fourth straight SEC series after dropping its first two. South Carolina will try to force a rubber match on Sunday.

More from Softball America:

Softball America’s Latest Bracketology
Recruiting Rankings
Conference Power Rankings: SEC | ACC | Big 12 | Big Ten

You may also like