All Hogs

Grand slam heroics again powers Razorbacks to SEC semifinal

Arkansas takes down best SEC pitcher to advance to final four
Daniel Shi|
Arkansas infielder Bri Ellis (77) bats against Tennessee at Jack Turner Stadium.
Arkansas infielder Bri Ellis (77) bats against Tennessee at Jack Turner Stadium. | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

In this story:

Arkansas RazorbacksTennessee Volunteers

ATHENS, Ga. — For the second straight game, a grand slam in the seventh inning pushed No.5 seed Arkansas over the finish line against No. 4 seed Tennessee, 6-1.

Arkansas advanced to the semifinals for the first time since winning the tournament in 2022.

With Arkansas looking for insurance against Tennessee in the top of the seventh, left fielder Raigan Kramer crushed a grand slam to left-center to turn a one-run game into a five-run cushion. Kramer, hitting in front of the Razorbacks' SEC Player of the Year and slugger Bri Ellis and her 26 homers, had just one homer on the year.

The Razorbacks managed six unearned runs off of SEC Pitcher of the Year Karlyn Pickens. She came into the game with the lowest ERA in the conference and second lowest in the nation (0.96), but Arkansas managed seven hits and took advantage of two key errors.

It was the first grand slam that Pickering had given up in 450 innings of work across three years in college.

"She hadn't thrown me a ball all day," Kramer said in a postgame interview with SEC Network. " I just logged that away. When I went in there, I was like, I'm going to swing at this first pitch."

The top three hitters in the Arkansas lineup, Reagan Johnson, Kramer and Ellis. combined for six of the seven hits, including Ellis who registered her 19th multi-hit game of the season.

Ellis came into the game with poor numbers on the season against Pickens going 1-for-6 with four strikeouts. She managed a double into the gap to set up a two-run inning in the third.

The two runs came around to score on a botched rundown from Tennessee catcher Sophia Nugent.

Arkansas play complementary softball with a complete game one-run, six-hit performance after three scoreless innings in relief Wednesday. She racked up nine strikeouts and did not walk a batter for her 17th win of the season.

Johnson, along with her two hits made a sparkling defensive play to preserve the lead in the bottom of the sixth.

With the tying run on second, Nugent blasted a ball to straightaway center, but Johnson watched the ball to the warning track before making a leaping catch with her glove against the wall to rob Nugent of extra bases.

Arkansas will now face the top seed Oklahoma in the semifinals of the tournament. The Sooners swept the regular season series against the Razorbacks in March at Bogle Park in Fayetteville.

Oklahoma outscored the Hogs 23-11 across those three games. Since the Razorbacks were swept by the Sooners, the Razorbacks are 15-5 in SEC games including the two wins at the Tournament and 6-0 in series.

First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday and will be broadcast on ESPN2. The winner of that game will advance to the championship on 4 p.m. Saturday on ESPN.

The quarterfinals in the other feature No. 11 Ole Miss vs. No. 3 Texas and No. 7 South Carolina vs. No. 2 Texas A&M.

HOGS FEED:

Published
Daniel Shi
DANIEL SHI

Covers baseball, football and basketball for Arkansas Razorback on SI since 2023, previously writing for FanSided. Currently a student at the University of Arkansas. He’s been repeatedly jaded by the Los Angeles Angels since 2014. Probably silently humming along to whatever the band is playing in the press box. Follow me on X: @dsh12

Home/Softball