STARKVILLE, Miss. — Junior shortstop A.J. Belans tallied her eighth multi-hit game of the season but the Razorbacks left 10 runners on base Saturday evening in a 3-0 loss in their series opener at Mississippi State.
Including Belans’ output, the top four in the lineup had five of Arkansas’ six hits in the game.
With the setback, Arkansas falls to 27-17 overall and 5-14 in SEC play.
The Razorbacks’ scoring chances started early with a bases-loaded opportunity in the first. With two outs and Tori Cooper on first, Belans singled to left and Nicole Schroeder drew a walk to put a Razorback at each base.
However, the home team got out of the jam with a fly ball to center. Arkansas had runners on first and second, again with two outs, in the second but Mississippi State starter Cassady Knudsen responded with a strikeout.
Madison Yannetti started the would-be rally in the second with a base hit to left field. She reached for a second time with a walk in the fourth inning.
The Mesquite, Texas, native is hitting .333 over the last nine games, collecting hits in seven of the nine. Yannetti has raised her season batting average nearly 20 points during the stretch.
In her 10th complete-game effort of the season, freshman Autumn Storms took the loss while giving up three runs on six hits with two strikeouts and no walks.
Saturday’s outing marked Storms’ 12th start of the season with no walks allowed. Overall, she has given up just 29 walks in 140.1 innings this season.
After scoring in the second, Mississippi State (33-14, 7-9 SEC) added another tally with a home run in the fourth and pushed across an insurance run with an RBI single in the sixth.
Arkansas loaded the bases for a second time in the fifth inning. Leading things off, Loren Krzysko legged out an infield base hit.
She has reached safely in seven of eight game since being inserted into the Razorbacks’ starting lineup.
Belans doubled to right center and Schroeder drew another walk—a four-ball free pass—to load the bases. The home team once again got out of trouble with Alexis Silkwood on in relief recording the final eight outs of the game without allowing a run.
Up Next
Game two of the weekend series between Arkansas and Mississippi State is scheduled for Sunday at 6 p.m. on the SEC Network with additional coverage available online through the WatchESPN app.
Mark Neely and Jenny Dalton-Hill will handle the play by play and color commentary duties, respectively.
