Hogs split Sunday doubleheader at South Carolina for win No. 600

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Behind a complete-game shutout from freshman Mary Haff, Arkansas won the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader at No. 12 South Carolina.

The victory doubled as the 600th in program history and handed the Gamecocks their first home loss of the season.

The teams ended up splitting the twin bill with South Carolina rallying to win the second game of the day.

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The Razorbacks’ road trip continues Tuesday afternoon with a doubleheader at Saint Louis. First pitch of the twin bill is set for 2 p.m. at the Billiken Sports Center on the SLU campus.

Arkansas (29-8, 6-6 SEC) holds a 6-0 advantage in the all-time series including a 5-2 win last season at Saint Louis.

The team return to Bogle Park next weekend (April 13-15) to host No. 15 Alabama.

The Razorbacks struck early with four runs in the top of top of the first inning. After a one-out double off the bat of freshman Hannah McEwen and back-to-back walks to Katie Warrick and Tori Cooper, the bases were loaded.

Freshman Kayla Green responded with an RBI single and senior A.J. Belans followed with a two-run single up the middle to give Arkansas the 3-0 advantage.

Senior Loren Krzysko picked up the final RBI with a foul out that allowed Green to score from third.

Haff was in control from the circle, retiring 18 of the first 19 she faced with the only blip coming when she plunked the second hitter of the second inning.

After the HBP, Haff retired 14 in a row before giving up a lead-off base hit in the seventh inning.

The Winter Haven, Fla., native shook it off by retiring the next three including a strikeout—just her second of the game—to secure the win.

After its outburst in the first inning, the offense was held to just two hits for the remainder of the game but managed a threat in the fifth inning after singles by Hannah McEwen and Warrick to lead off the frame.

Cooper continued the inning by drawing a walk to load the bases but South Carolina reliever Kelsey Oh struck out the next three hitters to get out of the jam.

Haff’s outing marks her fifth one-hit performance of the season as a starter and her first during SEC play. Her 17th wins ties the sixth most in a single season, pulling equal with the 2009 campaign by Miranda Dixon.

Similar to game one of Sunday’s doubleheader, the Razorbacks got a quick start and pushed a run across the plate in the first inning.

Warrick registered the first hit with a double to right center and Cooper plated the first run with an RBI double to left center.

Arkansas went on to load the bases later in the inning but a ground ball to third limited the scoring to one.

After going quietly in the second, the offense generated another run in the third frame. McEwen led off with a single through the left side and after walks to Warrick and Green, the bases were loaded with one down.

Sophomore Aly Manzo delivered a two-out single to left field to score McEwen from third and push the Razorbacks’ lead to 2-0, a score that stood until the sixth frame.

Arkansas had a runner in scoring position in the fifth and sixth innings but weren’t able to pad their advantage heading into the home half of the sixth inning.

Held off the scoreboard for the first 12 innings of Sunday’s doubleheader, South Carolina broke through and with the help of two home runs, the Gamecocks posted a six spot to take the lead and secured the win with a 1-2-3 top of the seventh.