Payton Burnham (Photo courtesy of University of Arkansas)
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – The No. 10 Arkansas Razorback softball team’s run of dominance continued with a pair of five-inning run-rule victories over Rutgers (10-0) and Cal State Fullerton (10-0) on the opening day of play at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Thursday afternoon.
The wins marked the sixth and seventh consecutive victories by run-rule, which set a new program record. The previous record of six was accomplished from Feb. 15-22, 2014.
Both games were highlighted by masterful complete-game five-inning shutout performances from the Razorbacks’ starting pitchers.
Payton Burnham improved to 4-0 in the win over Rutgers by striking out five with no walks and retiring 18 of 19 batters faced in her five innings of work. Rutgers only had four batters reach base off Burnham courtesy of a first-inning error, two singles and a hit-by-pitch.
Against Cal State Fullerton, Herron dominated for the second-consecutive outing, striking out eight while allowing a hit and two walks to earn her third victory of the season and improve to 4-0. The junior southpaw accomplished a rare four-strikeout inning due to a Fullerton batter reaching on a dropped third strike in the second. She carried a no-hitter into the top of the fifth before the Titans’ Nataly Lozano tripled to lead off the frame.
Atalyia Rijo continued her tear at the plate by going 4-6 on the day with three RBI and two extra-base hits courtesy of a two-run blast in the win over Cal State Fullerton and her fifth double of the season against Rutgers.
Four Hogs registered multiple hits against Rutgers, highlighted by senior Courtney Day’s 2-3, 3 RBI effort courtesy of a three-run home run in the fifth inning. Kailey Wyckoff also homered in the triumph, hitting a solo shot in the third inning.
Raigan Kramer paced the Hogs at the plate in the win over Cal State Fullerton by going 3-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Her three hits tied a single-game career high, which she had previously accomplished in an NCAA Tournament win over Harvard on May 19, 2023.
RUTGERS
Neither team could scratch for a run in the first inning as both sides had one batter reach; Reagan Johnson reached on a walk to lead off the game, and the Scarlet Knights’ Bailey Briggs on an error to lead off the home half.
Following Briggs reaching on an error in the first inning, Burnham buckled down and retired nine of her next 10 batters faced over the next three frames.
The Razorbacks would threaten in the second inning as Day singled to left field and Rijo laced a double into the right-center field gap to put runners on second and third with no outs. However, Rutgers starter Kelsey Hoekstra escaped the jam by retiring the next three batters by way of a strikeout, foul-out, and flyout.
Wyckoff opened the scoring and gave Arkansas the early 1-0 advantage with a solo home run to right field with one out in the top of the third inning. McDowell and Bri Ellis also singled in the inning.
Arkansas then exploded for nine runs in the fifth inning to put the game well out of reach. Johnson led off the inning with a double and later came around to score on an RBI single by McDowell. Ellis singled to put two runners on for Courtney Day, who cleared the bases with a towering three-run shot to center field, her fifth of the season pushed the lead to 5-0. A bases-loaded walk, throwing error, and a passed ball accounted for three more Arkansas runs to extend the lead to nine before Wyckoff brought in the 10th and final run of the contest to make it the final 10-0.
Burnham closed out the victory by throwing a scoreless bottom of the fifth while picking up her fifth and final strikeout of the day.
Hoekstra took the loss for Rutgers (5-6) to drop to 1-2 on the season. She allowed three runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings pitched.
CAL STATE FULLERTON
A Sarah Perez walk for Cal State Fullerton and an Ella McDowell walk for Arkansas accounted for the only baserunners in the first inning.
Herron accomplished the unaccustomed four-strikeout inning in the top of the second inning by fanning all four batters faced. The Titans’ Sarah Coccillos was able to take first on a dropped-third strike in the dirt that made its way to the backstop.
Following Herron’s dominant sequence, Day led off the bottom half with a walk before Rijo belted a two-run dinger into center field, giving Arkansas a 2-0 advantage. The Hogs then promptly loaded the bases courtesy of a single from Raigan Kramer and a pair of walks from Kennedy Miller and Karlie Davison. Johnson made it 4-0 with a single through the left side that brought home Miller before Wyckoff added another run with a line drive to center field that was deep enough to score Kramer from third. Arkansas extended its lead to 5-0 with an RBI single to left field from McDowell.
Davison added a run in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly.
Herron again faced the minimum in the fourth courtesy of a groundout and a ground ball double play. The Razorbacks added four insurance runs in the bottom of the fourth courtesy of a single by Rijo and Kramer in addition to a fielder’s choice that featured a throwing error and a bases-loaded hit by pitch, to make it the final 10-0.
Herron trotted back out to the circle with a no-hitter on the line in the top of the fifth that would be spoiled by Cal State Fullerton’s Nataly Lozano’s leadoff triple. However, Lozano would not make it farther than third, as McDowell turned an impressive 5-3 double play by fielding a ground and tagging the retreating Lozano before firing a bullet across the diamond to Ellis at first base. Herron would then strike out pinch hitter Lulu Sanchez for the final out of the contest as the Razorbacks improved to 12-0.
Leanna Garcia fell to 5-2 for Fullerton after allowing four earned runs on two hits and three walks.
UP NEXT
The Razorbacks are back in action Friday against Cal State Fullerton at 8.
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