Razorbacks Split Kickin’ Chicken Classic Day, As Pitching Leads Win

Arkansas split Saturday at the Kickin’ Chicken Classic, dropping a competitive game to Virginia before cruising past Coastal Carolina behind big hits and pitching.

Arkansas Razorbacks coach Courtney Deifel walks to the dugout after getting the Ole Miss Rebels out in an NCAA Super Regional at Bogle Park | Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images

CONWAY, S.C. — After a competitive battle with Virginia and a decisive performance later in the afternoon, Arkansas finished day two of the Kickin’ Chicken Classic with a split result at St. John Stadium on Saturday.

The Razorbacks dropped the opener 4-2 to the Cavaliers before turning around to run-rule Coastal Carolina 11-1 in five innings.

Tianna Bell was a standout bat all day, going 6-for-6 with two runs batted in, two doubles and four runs scored across both games, tying a career high with three hits in each contest.

In the morning matchup, Arkansas fell to Virginia 4-2 despite several early offensive opportunities.

Payton Burnham made her first start of the season in the circle before giving way to Cam Harrison in relief in the second inning.

Arkansas Razorbacks pitcher Payton Burnham walks to the dugout after getting the Ole Miss Rebels out in an NCAA Super Regional at Bogle Park | Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images

Virginia jumped out early, scoring three runs in the first frame, including a two-run home run that cleared the center-field wall.

The Rebels’ ace left-hander Courtney Layne held the Razorbacks in check through one inning before Arkansas started chipping away.

Bell opened the Arkansas offense with a leadoff single in the second.

Freshman Brinli Bain followed with a double off the center-field wall to plate Bell and cut the deficit to 4-1.

Harrison and Layne then largely controlled the middle innings.

In the fourth, Ella McDowell singled and later scored on a Bell RBI single to center.

Bell reached second on a Virginia error and moved into scoring position, but Arkansas couldn’t complete the comeback.

Harrison struck out two in the fifth to keep the game close, but the Razorbacks couldn’t push across the tying run.

Layne completed the game for the Cavaliers, allowing two runs on five hits with seven strikeouts, while Burnham took the loss.

Arkansas Razorbacks pitcher Robyn Herron looks in before a pitch against the Oklahoma State Cowgirls in an NCAA Regional at Bogle Park | Nilsen Roman-Hogs on SI Images

Dominant Victory Over Coastal Carolina

Arkansas regrouped quickly in the nightcap against Coastal Carolina, using balanced offense and strong pitching to pull away early.

Senior left-hander Robyn Herron was excellent, striking out 10 batters and carrying a no-hit bid into the fifth inning in the run-rule win.

Arkansas struck first in the second inning. Bell singled up the middle and came around to score on a Cam Harrison RBI single to shallow center.

Kailey Wyckoff followed with an RBI knock through the right side to give Arkansas a 2-0 edge.

The Razorbacks added three more in the third. An error put Dakota Kennedy on, and McDowell and Bell each delivered with run-scoring hits to extend the advantage to 5-0 before a passed ball added another.

In the fourth, McDowell’s RBI single scored Reagan Johnson, who had legged out an infield hit and stole second.

Bell then doubled to left center, setting up additional runs via a passed ball and an error.

The highlight came in the fifth inning when Ramsey Walker crushed her first collegiate home run — a pinch-hit, three-run shot down the left-field line that completed the scoring.

Along with Bell’s 3-for-3 performance, freshman Brinli Bain went 2-for-2 with a run scored and a walk, and Wyckoff finished with two RBIs.

.@_ramseywalker_ is the newest member of the Bogle Bomber club 🤩 pic.twitter.com/OWxMXyj1GT

— Arkansas Softball (@RazorbackSB) February 8, 2026

Courtney Deifel Highlights Team Response

Coach Courtney Deifel reflected on the Razorbacks’ performance, emphasizing the team’s response after the morning loss.

“Our response today in game two was great,” Deifel said. “That is what we want to see from them. We know early, we are still figuring out who we are.”

She praised both Harrison’s effort in the earlier game and Herron’s strong outing in the latter.

Sit back and enjoy 2 minutes and 51 seconds of @robynherronn striking people out pic.twitter.com/7oyxCAlgMH

— Arkansas Softball (@RazorbackSB) February 8, 2026

Notable Stats and Series Records

With Saturday’s results, Arkansas improved several noteworthy marks:

Herron notched her 11th career double-digit strikeout game, ranking third all-time in program history.

The Hogs now hold a 4-3 all-time series edge over Virginia and are 3-0 all-time against Coastal Carolina.

Reagan Johnson tied the Arkansas career hits record with 227.

Arkansas has won 73 of its last 78 games in which it records 10 or more hits.

Arkansas wraps up its Kickin’ Chicken Classic slate Sunday morning against Akron at 10 a.m.