Hogs bats come alive to hammer Missouri, avoiding sweep

Arkansas scored six runs in the first two innings and banged out a season-high 13 hits to defeat Missouri, 8-4, in the Bogle Park regular season finale on Monday night.

The Razorbacks never trailed and finish the week 1.5 games ahead of Florida for first place in the SEC standings.

How it happened

The offense wasted no time jumping on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning.

Back-to-back walks drawn by outfielder Hannah McEwen and infielder Braxton Burnside allowed infielder Hannah Gammill to launch her eighth home run of the year to left, giving Arkansas a 3-0 lead.

Infielder Danielle Gibson went yard two pitches later, combining with Gammill for the Razorbacks’ ninth back-to-back home runs this year.

Gibson is tied for second on the team alongside designated player Linnie Malkin with 15 home runs.

Arkansas extended its lead to 6-0 in the bottom of the second on Gibson’s RBI groundout and Malkin’s single up the middle.

Missouri (34-11, 12-6 SEC) scored all of its runs via a pair of two-run home runs in the fourth inning by Kim Wert and Emma Raabe, bringing the Tigers within two.

Burnside gave Arkansas a three-run advantage the next half inning, homering for the 24th time this season to left center on a 1-0 pitch, making the score, 7-4.

Burnside’s blast tied her with Oklahoma’s Jocelyn Alo atop the nation’s home run leaderboard.

Gibson’s single up the middle with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning scored Gammaill from second and gave the Hogs an 8-4 lead.

The Tigers attempted to come back in the top of the seventh inning and put two runners on with one out.

Arkansas turned to Autumn Storms out of the pen, and after and walking the first batter she faced, induced a game ending 4-6-3 double play.

Mary Haff (21-4) gave the Razorbacks 6.1 innings of work and allowed just four earned runs in the fourth inning.

She surrendered eight hits and one walk while striking out five. Storms earned her fourth save of the year, entering the game with the game’s tying run in the on deck circle.

The Tigers used a quartet of hurlers, with starter Jordan Weber (9-3) taking the loss allowing four earned runs on three hits and two walks.

Arkansas outhit Missouri 13-8, which tied a season-high (March 13 at South Carolina). Gammill, Gibson and catcher Kayla Green each paced the squad with three hits.

The Razorbacks finish out their regular season with a three-game road trip to LSU from Saturday, May 1 through Monday, May 3.