Hogs’ late rally falls short in final game of series against South Carolina

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas dropped the third game of a weekend series Sunday against South Carolina, 9-6, despite a sixth-inning rally that fell just short.

The Razorbacks trailed the Gamecocks, 7-0, headed into the sixth inning and outscored South Carolina 6-2 in the final two innings, but it wasn’t enough.

The Hogs finished the weekend 2-1, taking the series for the first time since 2010.

Arkansas (21-7, 3-3) gave up seven runs through four innings, only one of which was earned. Razorback errors gave up a big second inning that gave the Gamecocks the opportunity to score five runs on three hits and two Hog errors.

The Hogs left four runners on base through the first five innings before scoring its first run in the sixth. Freshman Taylor Greene kicked off the sixth inning getting hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a wild pitch during senior Katie Warrick’s at-bat.

South Carolina (21-7, 1-5) retired Warrick and designated player Kayla Green before the Razorbacks fired up the engines and scored four runs on a two-run home run by Diaz, an RBI single by Linnie Malkin, and a bases loaded walk from Hannah McEwen. McEwen finished the day with one hit and one walk, reaching base for the 24^th game in-a-row.

The Gamecocks scored two in the top of the seventh to widen the lead, and Arkansas seemed to be responding in the bottom of the inning, plating two more runs with a single down the left line by junior Sydney Parr that would score pinch-runners Keely Edwards and Sam Torres.

Senior Haydi Bugarin followed Parr’s hit with a single to third base that loaded the bases, and McEwen stepped up as the potentially game-winning run. McEwen connected on a pitch and sent it to the left side, but the third baseman made the play and the final out of the game.

Starting pitcher Autumn Storms recorded just her second loss of the season, giving up only one earned run through 3.1 innings of work. Relief pitcher Mary Haff entered in the fourth inning for Storms, dishing out six strike outs, recording three scoreless innings of work. Storms and Haff combined for 19 strikeouts over the weekend.

The Razorbacks will hit the road to Knoxville next weekend to continue play against No. 7 Tenneesee. Arkansas will face the Vols in a three-game series beginning Friday at 3 p.m.

Friday and Sunday’s games will be available for fans to watch on ESPNU, while Saturday’s game will be aired on the SEC Network.