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Live Blog: Arkansas vs. St. Louis (Fayetteville regional)

Razorbacks look to get NCAA tournament off to hot start at Bogle Park

Kent Smith

Arkansas pitcher Robyn Herron celebrates getting an out against Southeast Missouri State in the Razorbacks' opening game of the Fayetteville Regional at Bogle Park on Friday, May 17, 2024.
Arkansas pitcher Robyn Herron celebrates getting an out against Southeast Missouri State in the Razorbacks' opening game of the Fayetteville Regional at Bogle Park on Friday, May 17, 2024. / Arkansas Communications
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FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas kicks off its postseason at Bogle Park this evening against St. Louis.

The Razorbacks finished the season on a 10-3 run that had them ranked No. 1 in the country behind the powerful bat of National Player of the Year nominee Bri Ellis and the powerful arm of star pitcher Robyn Herron.

The Billikens come in on a four-game winning streak that won them a spot in the NCAA Tournament after losing three straight, including the opening game of the Atlantic 10 tournament. Only two hitters on the team bat above .292.

To put that in perspective, 10 Razorbacks hit above that level.

1st Inning (Top)

St. Louis will bat first. They enter today's game in blue tops with blue helmets. They will face freshman pitcher Payton Burnham who drops in strikes on three of her first four pitches and if there was concern of nerves by Coach Deifel, that has to have been relieved already.

Burnham goes three up, three down, forcing a weak grounder to second and striking out the nation's No. 2 hitter in terms of RBIs to close the at-bat. Arkansas looks way more loose to start this game than they did the previous two regionals. The question now is whether that translates at the plate.

ARKANSAS 0, ST. LOUIS 0

1st Inning (Bottom)

Hockman, the St. Louis pitcher, is known for her knuckleball. That could be a bit of a wild card here today for these Arkansas hitters.

Reagan Johnson slaps a hard shot to opposite field off the glove of the third baseman to start things off with an easy single. Raigan Kramer flies out to right, but Johnson steals second a few pitches later.
Brie Ellis comes up and watches four straight pitches, but Hockman got really close to the plate while trying to keep it to the outside. It will be interesting to see if she eventually makes a mistake to one of the nation's best power hitters.

Hockman can't find the plate against Courtney Day either and now Wyckoff comes up with one out and the bases loaded.

Wyckoff hits a hard liner to right and the Razorbacks bring in a run while keeping the bases loaded. Hockman walks in a run and then Kennedy Miller drives a hot shot up the middle that almost took out Wyckoff as she stepped to run at second to drive in two more.

Arkansas is especially patient at the plate. It's got to definitely be over the plate to get them to swing, but Hockman wants no part of throwing it over the middle to this team. You almost gotta feel for her because she seems to be in a no-win situation. And now she issues another walk to load the bases again.

After a brief meeting on the mound, Davidson plants one into left field to drive home a run to make it 5-0 and bases remain loaded while Arkansas moves back to the top of the line-up.

Arkansas hits into a double play and the inning mercifully ends.

ARKANSAS 5, ST. LOUIS 0

2nd Inning (Top)

Burnham strikes out two more while stretching it to six up, six down to quickly put Arkansas back up to the plate.

ARKANSAS 5, ST. LOUIS 0

2nd Inning (Bottom)

Kramer gets the inning off to a hot start by reaching a bit to pull a ball into right field just past the second baseman for a single. That brings Ellis to the plate and the dance of pretending to pitch to her without doing it begins.

Hockman goes after her with a mix of pitches, including a knuckleball over the middle that Ellis pulled back on. Eventually Ellis gets to swing, but she gets just under it and it carries short of the warning track for a the first out of the inning.

Day walks again and Wyckoff blasts a low liner just past a diving shortstop to get her second RBI of the game while keeping it to one out. The Razorbacks now lead 6-0.

Hockman gets a pair of Razorbacks to fly out, limiting the damage while giving her team at least a little bit of hope.

ARKANSAS 6, ST. LOUIS 0

3rd Inning (Top)

Burnham gets her seventh consecutive hitter before giving up a walk on a 3-2 pitch that just barely missed, so the perfect game is now gone. She doesn't miss on her next 3-2 count and the perfect game may be over, but the shutout is still on as the Razorbacks come up to bat looking to push the lead enough to create the possibility of an early finish tonight,

ARKANSAS 6, ST. LOUIS 0

3rd Inning (Bottom)

Hockman gets the first two Arkansas hitters to fly out to left before Johnson grounds out on a bunt to end the inning in three batters. Momentum is slowly starting to swing the Billikens' way. The only question now is whether the Razorbacks will try to coast or bring it to an abrupt end,

ARKANSAS 6, ST. LOUIS 0

4th Inning (Top)

Three quick grounders and before anyone can blink, Arkansas is back up to bat.

ARKANSAS 6, ST. LOUIS 0

4th Inning (Bottom)

Kramer leads off with a single and Ellis gets her customary walk to runners at first and second with no outs. They finally pitch to Day who smashes a grounder to second that is knocked down at the edge of the outfield, but there is no play. Bases are loaded no for Wyckoff who has been hot with the bat tonight.

For some reason the outfield was playing up and Wyckoff lifts one over their heads and one-hops the wall to clear the bases for three runs to put the Razorbacks up 9-0. Wyckoff is 3-for-3 with five RBIs tonight.

That will do it for Hockman. A new pitcher comes on and Rijo pounds a screamer back up the middle to stretch the lead to double digits now as Arkansas goes up 10-0, really putting a lock on potentially ending this game next inning.

The inning ends with a couple of quick outs and we now get to see if Burnham can slam the door on this one and send Arkansas into a showdown with Oklahoma State tomorrow.

ARKANSAS 10, ST. LOUIS 0

5th Inning (Top)

Burnham hits a batter, but the perfect game was already gone. She settles down to strike out the final two batters and the freshman throws a no-hitter in a historic first outing in a college regional. Arkansas closes this one early.

The Razorbacks move on to face Oklahoma State at noon Saturday. The Cowgirls were down four, but scored seven runs in the sixth to come back and win 11-6 over Indiana.

5th Inning (Bottom)

Coming soon.

6th Inning (Top)

Coming soon.

6th Inning (Bottom)

Coming soon.

7th Inning (Top)

Coming soon.

7th Inning (Bottom)

If needed,

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Kent Smith
KENT SMITH

Kent Smith has been in the world of media and film for nearly 30 years. From Nolan Richardson's final seasons, former Razorback quarterback Clint Stoerner trying to throw to anyone and anything in the blazing heat of Cowboys training camp in Wichita Falls, the first high school and college games after 9/11, to Troy Aikman's retirement and Alex Rodriguez's signing of his quarter billion dollar contract, Smith has been there to report on some of the region's biggest moments. 

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