Arkansas vs. Kentucky: Game preview, how to stream Sunday’s rubber match

Arkansas goes for their 5th straight SEC series win on Sunday as they host Kentucky for the rubber match of the three-game series.

The No. 6 Arkansas Razorbacks look to bounce back after suffering a tough loss to the No. 12 Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday night.

Arkansas (31-8, 10-4 SEC) hit three home runs through the first three innings to grab a 7-1 advantage before Kentucky (29-10, 9-5 SEC) broke away to score six runs in the 4th inning to tie the game at 7-7.

The Wildcats pulled away by hitting two home runs in the top of the 7th, a solo shot by Erin Coffel, her second of the day, as well as a two-run blast by Miranda Stoddard to give Kentucky the 10-7 win, setting up a rubber match for Sunday morning.

Bogle Park, known as a hitter-friendly park, earned that reputation Saturday night as Arkansas and Kentucky combined to hit six total home runs. [autotag]Hannah Gammill[/autotag], [autotag]Linnie Malkin[/autotag], and [autotag]Spencer Prigge[/autotag] each hit a long ball in the game for the Razorbacks.

Arkansas goes for their 5th SEC series win of the season this morning against Kentucky at Bogle Park. The winner of the series will join Alabama at the top of the SEC standings. First pitch is set for 11 a.m. at Bogle Park.

Arkansas runs winning streak to 8 games with sweep of SEMO

The red-hot Razorbacks continue to get the job done

It was business as usual for the No. 6 Arkansas Razorbacks (30-7, 9-3 SEC), as they swept Southeast Missouri State in a doubleheader on Tuesday, 9-1 and 14-0 respectively. By grabbing two wins on the day, the winning streak for Arkansas has now improved to eight games.

The red-hot Razorbacks would produce 11 hits in game one’s win off the bat of eight different batters. [autotag]KB Sides[/autotag], [autotag]Danielle Gibson[/autotag], and [autotag]Hannah Gammill[/autotag] would pace the offense with two hits each; Sides and Gammill would also record three RBI apiece.

Arkansas would also add three home runs to their season total as well. Sides and Gammill would score multiple home runs on their solo shots, while [autotag]Linnie Malkin[/autotag] would hit her 10th home run of the year.

[autotag]Chenise Delce[/autotag] would win her 8th game of the season by striking out eight batters while allowing five hits and an earned run in 5.0 innings of work.

Arkansas added 13 more hits and did their damage in two innings against SEMO in game two’s 14-0 win. Malkin would go deep two more times, scoring five runs. [autotag]Audrie LaValle[/autotag]y and [autotag]Taylor Ellsworth[/autotag] would also homer in the game. Danielle Gibson went 3-for-3 with 2 RBI. She collected both RBI on a single in the 1st inning, contributing to the six-run inning.

[autotag]Callie Turner[/autotag] grabbed her 2nd win of the year, allowing just three hits in 3.0 IP. [autotag]Lauren Howell[/autotag] struck out two batters in 2.0 innings of relief.

Arkansas will now look ahead to their meeting with No. 12 Kentucky. The three-game set will begin Friday evening at Bogle Park.

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Late score pushes Arkansas over Auburn, Razorbacks clinch fourth straight series

The Razorbacks got a late push by Rylin Hedgecock in the 6th inning to give them the 4-3 win over Auburn on Saturday.

In what was a pitcher’s duel, the No. 10 Arkansas Razorbacks (28-7, 9-3 SEC) grabbed a late run in the 6th inning to defeat the No. 17 Auburn Tigers (29-8, 7-7 SEC), 4-3 on Saturday at Bogle Park. The win was the ninth straight for Arkansas softball over Auburn and gives the Razorbacks their fourth straight SEC series win to open the conference slate.

Tied 3-3 with one out in the inning, sophomore[autotag]Rylin Hedgecock[/autotag] was called to bat for [autotag]Valerie Ventura[/autotag], and did was she was called to. On the second pitch of the at-bat, Hedgecock hit a sacrifice fly to left field that was deep enough to score [autotag]Cally Kildow[/autotag], who pinch ran for [autotag]Linnie Malkin[/autotag] who reached base via the base on balls, from third base to put Arkansas in front, 4-3.

Following the sacrifice fly by Malkin, [autotag]Chenise Delce[/autotag] repeated her performance from Friday by slamming the door on the Tigers, striking out the final two batters to solidify the win.

Arkansas had to dig themselves out of trouble early. Following a wild pitch that allowed Auburn to score their first run of the game in the 1st inning, Danielle Gibson answered by hitting her 14th home run of the season, a two-run blast to center field to help the Razorbacks grab their first lead of the game, 2-1.

The Razorbacks extended their lead in the 3rd inning. After a walk to [autotag]Taylor Ellsworth[/autotag] and a base-hit by Gibson to open the inning, [autotag]Hannah Gammill[/autotag] would send Ellsworth home on a single to left field to give Arkansas the 3-1 lead.

In what would be Auburn’s last contribution to the score, Makayla Packer would hit a game-tying, two-run home run to even the score at 3-3.

Despite getting the win, Auburn outhit Arkansas 10-8, and stranded ten runners on base in the loss. The Tigers relied on Maddie Penta in the circle for the entire game, she allowed four earned runs and six hits while striking out seven batters in 6.0 innings of work.

Delce grabbed the win for Arkansas, striking out four batters in 2.1 innings of relief. Gibson was the only Razorback to have multiple hits in the game, going 2-for-3 with two RBI. [autotag]KB Sides[/autotag], Hannah Gammill, [autotag]Audrey LaValley[/autotag], and [autotag]Sam Torres[/autotag] each had one hit in the game.

The series finale between the Razorbacks and Tigers is set for 1 p.m. Sunday. The game can be seen on SEC Network+.

Razorbacks hold off Central Arkansas in midweek action

An early grand slam by Linnie Malkin would be enough to lift the No. 10 Razorbacks over Central Arkansas in midweek action on Tuesday.

The No. 10 Arkansas Razorbacks (25-7) started strong in their midweek game against in-state foe Central Arkansas (19-15) on Tuesday, but the Sugar Bears refused to quit.

After going down 6-0 early, Central Arkansas scored four runs over the final four innings, including two runs in the bottom of the 7th, but the early deficit was too much to overcome, as Arkansas grabbed the 6-4 win at Farris Field in Conway, Ark.

Jaylee Engelkes looked to play the role of hero for Central Arkansas on Tuesday, as she was responsible for scoring the final three runs of the night in the attempted comeback effort. Following a solo home run by Tyla Vernon in the 4th inning to put the Sugar Bears on the board, Englekes would double to right-center, which scored a run on an error by [autotag]KB Sides[/autotag] to cut into the Razorback lead, 6-2. Then, in the bottom of the 7th inning, Englekes would strike again by recording a double to right-center field to score Tremere Harris and Jenna Wildeman to clear the bases and to cut into Arkansas’s lead, 6-4.

However, for Central Arkansas, their effort was shutdown as Kylie Griffin grounded out to end the game.

The Razorbacks, who just came off a series win at Ole Miss over the weekend, started off the game with hot bats. The first six batters of the inning reached base, with five of them scoring.

[autotag]Taylor Ellsworth[/autotag] walked on a full-count, becoming the third-straight Razorback to reach base to begin the inning. The next batter, [autotag]Danielle Gibson[/autotag], would reach base on a fielder’s choice to 2nd base, which unfortunately ended with Sides being thrown out at home. Arkansas would score their first run of the game in the next at-bat, when [autotag]Hannah Gammill[/autotag] was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

As the bases remained loaded, the momentum would stay on Arkansas’ side as [autotag]Linnie Malkin[/autotag] would get an opportunity to add to the lead. It was an opportunity she gladly took.

Malkin crushed her 7th home run of the season over the center field fence to blow the game open, giving Arkansas the 5-0 lead before Central Arkansas had the chance to respond.

The Razorbacks would get one more run in the game on a solo home run by [autotag]Audrie LaValley[/autotag], who hit her second homerun of the season in the 4th inning, giving Arkansas the 6-0 lead.

Sides and LaValley led the team in hits with two each. Callie Turner earned the win in the circle by striking out three batters and issuing just two walks in 5.0 innings of work, Jenna Bloom would finish the game in relief, allowing a hit and two earned runs in 2.0 innings.

Arkansas Softball returns to Bogle Park on Friday to host the No. 17 Auburn Tigers for game one of a three-game SEC weekend series. First pitch for game one is set for 6 p.m. CT.

SOFTBALL: Malkin’s grand slam propels Arkansas to series win over LSU

Razorbacks do their damage early, take care of LSU to earn second-straight SEC series win.

Sometimes, it is better to do your damage early.

That is what No. 8 Arkansas did in their series finale with the No. 22 LSU Tigers on Monday night. A grand slam by senior [autotag]Linnie Malkin[/autotag] headlined a five-run 1st inning for Arkansas, and that would be enough to give the Razorbacks the series win over LSU, defeating the Tigers, 7-3 in the series finale at Bogle Park.

The first four batters of the Arkansas 1st inning reached base, setting the table for Malkin to hit her 6th home run of the season. [autotag]KB Sides[/autotag], [autotag]Hannah McEwen[/autotag], and [autotag]Taylor Ellsworth[/autotag] each collected singles. [autotag]Danielle Gibson[/autotag] would earn an RBI by getting hit with a pitch with the bases loaded. The next two at-bats would result in outs for Arkansas, but the bases would remain loaded for Malkin, who would crush the first pitch of her at-bat over the center field fence to extend the Razorback lead to 5-0.

LSU would cut into the Arkansas lead in the 4th inning on back-to-back home runs to cut the lead to 5-3. Danieca Coffey reached base to lead off the inning on a triple, and came home on a two-run home run by Ciara Briggs to put the Tigers on the board. Taylor Pleasants followed suit by sending the 2nd pitch of the ensuing at-bat over the right-center field fence to trim the Razorback lead to two runs.

Arkansas would seal the win over the final two innings on RBI singles by Kacie Hoffman and Taylor Ellsworth respectively, giving the Razorbacks their second-straight SEC series win.

With the win, Arkansas is now 22-6, 4-2 in SEC play. KB Sides recorded three hits for Arkansas, behind her with two hits each were Ellsworth, McEwen, Hoffman and Malkin. [autotag]Jenna Bloom[/autotag] earned her 8th win of the season by tossing 3.0 innings where she allowed three earned runs on three hits while striking out two batters. [autotag]Chenise Delce[/autotag] grabbed the four-inning save for Arkansas.

Next up for Arkansas is a three-game series on the road at Ole Miss. The Rebels completed a three-game series sweep at home against Missouri to even up their SEC record at 3-3. The first game of the series will be Friday, April 1 at 5 p.m.

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