Freshman Kennedy Miller continues to impress during her first season at the collegiate softball level, again coming up with a key hit to help No. 16 Arkansas take down South Dakota State on the first day of the Wooo Pig Classic at Bogle Park.
After falling behind in the count 1-2, in the bottom of the fourth inning, the young catcher ripped an RBI-double to left-center field, plating senior Rylin Hedgecock for what would prove to be the game-winning run.
The 5-foot-8 Miller, a native of Georgetown, Texas, now leads the team with a .467 batting average, after beginning the year with 14 hits in her first 30 at-bats.
After the Jackrabbits took a 1-0 first-inning lead, Arkansas bounced back big in the bottom half of the inning.
Red-hot sophomore leadoff hitter Regan Johnson got things going with a quick single, followed by junior Bri Ellis‘ team-leading sixth home run of the year, a two-run blast to center. Senior Cylie Halvorson‘s sacrifice fly made in 3-1 after one.
South Dakota State (8-10) scored another run in the second, then tied it at 3-3 in the top of the fourth. Hedgecock lined a two-out double to get things rolling in the Arkansas fourth, which led to Miller’s heroics.
Senior Morgan Lienstock replaced sophomore starter Robyn Herron in the circle for the Razorbacks, after SDSU sophomore Keira Carollio led off the second inning with a homer.
Leinstock went 2.2 innings, allowing just one run, while striking out five. Sophomore lefty Hannah Camenzind (4-0) pitched the final 3.1 innings and retired all 10 batters she faced to earn the win.
Arkansas (14-3) will continue its current 17-game homestand with a doubleheader Friday, facing Southeast Missouri State at 3 p.m., then Florida Atlantic at 5:30 p.m. Both games will be available on the SEC Network+, with former Razorback Sydney Parr Lee and Dorian Craft calling the game.