Razorbacks Drop Finale at South Carolina But Still Win SEC Road Series

Arkansas leaves runners stranded as South Carolina rallies to win finale and prevent Hogs sweep.

Arkansas Razorbacks pitcher Colin Fisher during warmups before game with South Carolina Gaecocks. | Arkansas Communications

The chance was there for a clean weekend, but it slipped away late Sunday as Arkansas couldn’t close out a sweep against South Carolina.

After locking up the series a day earlier, the Razorbacks dropped the finale 9-4 at Founders Park, ending what still stands as a winning SEC road trip.

Arkansas came out swinging early, putting pressure on South Carolina right away. Camden Kozeal, Kuhio Aloy, Maika Niu and TJ Pompey each drove in runs during a four-run first inning that gave the Hogs an early cushion.

But that early surge didn’t hold.

South Carolina answered back and kept scoring throughout the afternoon, plating runs in six different innings while steadily wearing down Arkansas pitching.

The Razorbacks had chances to respond, but missed opportunities became the story.

Arkansas left nine runners on base and struggled to deliver key hits, finishing just 3-for-20 with runners on and 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position.

Early offense fades as Gamecocks respond

That strong first inning gave Arkansas a 4-0 lead, and for a moment it looked like the Hogs might cruise.

Instead, South Carolina flipped the momentum quickly.

The Gamecocks chipped away inning by inning, turning a deficit into control with consistent offense and timely hitting. They finished with nine runs on 12 hits and took advantage of four walks to keep pressure on the Razorbacks staff.

Arkansas starter Colin Fisher didn’t last long, exiting after 2.1 innings while allowing three runs.

From there, the bullpen couldn’t stop the bleeding.

Steele Eaves, Jackson Kircher and Ethan McElvain combined to give up five more runs in relief, allowing South Carolina to pull away.

Tate McGuire provided a bright spot with a scoreless inning and two strikeouts, but by then the gap had grown too large.

Souz sends one outta here! pic.twitter.com/YTD7BkPgAf

— Arkansas Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) March 22, 2026

Power shows up, but not enough

Even in the loss, Arkansas showed flashes at the plate.

Nolan Souza delivered a strong day, going 3-for-4 and hitting his first home run of the season.

Ryder Helfrick added a big swing of his own, launching a 444-foot two-run homer in the seventh inning. It was his sixth long ball of the year and another sign of his steady production.

Helfrick has been one of the most reliable bats in the lineup all season.

Reese Rob rips an RBI double pic.twitter.com/RS1udpOtue

— Arkansas Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) March 22, 2026

Through 24 games, he’s hitting .321 with a .491 on-base percentage and a .593 slugging mark, along with six home runs and 19 RBI.

He’s also reached base in all 24 games and leads the team with 29 walks, showing patience that continues to fuel the offense.

Still, the big hits didn’t come often enough Sunday.

Arkansas simply couldn’t string together enough timely swings to match South Carolina’s steady scoring.

444-foot Ryder rocket 🤟 pic.twitter.com/ECBSGsBmyW

— Arkansas Baseball (@RazorbackBSB) March 22, 2026

Series win still matters for Razorbacks

Even with the loss, the weekend wasn’t a setback overall.

The Hogs leave Columbia with a series victory and a 4-2 start in SEC play, continuing a strong trend under Dave Van Horn.

Arkansas has now opened conference play at 4-2 or better in seven straight full seasons, showing a level of consistency that keeps it among the league’s most reliable programs.

The missed sweep stings, especially after the fast start Sunday, but the bigger picture remains steady.

Winning road series in the SEC still carries weight.

Now, Arkansas heads back home looking to regroup quickly.

The Razorbacks return to Baum-Walker Stadium for a midweek game against in-state opponent Central Arkansas, with first pitch set for Tuesday night.