Belans' HR Lifts Razorbacks to Win at No. 11 Auburn

AUBURN, Ala. – In the program’s longest game since 2013, the No. 16 University of Arkansas softball team posted a 4-2, 10-innings win over 11th-ranked Auburn in game one of Saturday’s doubleheader. Senior A.J. Belans hit the go-ahead, two-run homer in the top of the 10th and freshman Mary Haff struck out the side in the home half of the frame to pick up the win in relief.

Auburn (38-11, 11-9 SEC) turned the tables with a 4-2 win in game two to split the doubleheader. With Saturday’s results, the Razorbacks head back to Bogle Park with a 34-11 overall record and 9-9 mark in SEC play.

Up Next
Arkansas hosts its home series finale next weekend (April 28-30) when Ole Miss visits Fayetteville. The three-game series begins Saturday and runs through Monday. All three games will be nationally televised.

GAME 1: #16 Arkansas 4, #11/13 Auburn 2 | Box Score

With the score tied at 2-all in the 10th inning and pinch runner Sydney Parr standing on second, Belans stepped to the plate and delivered the two-run shot to right center. The big fly was her third of the season and second during SEC play. Freshman Kayla Green started the rally with a lead-off walk, and Parr—in to run for Green—moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by junior Ashley Diaz.

Haff secured the win by striking out the side in the bottom of the inning. The freshman pitcher struck out five and allowed a hit in four innings of relief to pick up her 21st win of the season. Sophomore Autumn Storms started and held Auburn to just two runs—one earned—and registered five strikeouts in six innings of work.

Arkansas got on the board first with a bases-loaded, RBI single by senior Autumn Buczek in the second inning but the home team took a 2-1 lead into the fourth. In the top of the fourth, the Razorbacks took advantage of a pair of Auburn errors to tie the game at 2-2. Haydi Bugarin stood on second after a fielding error at third, advanced to third on a fly out Hannah McEwen and came around to score on an errant throw to first on a Buczek ground ball.

Belans finished the game with a season-high three hits. Saturday’s game was the Razorbacks’ first 10-inning affair since a 4-1 win (April 13, 2013) at No. 8 Missouri. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Green threw out her 12th would-be base stealer of the season when she caught Victoria Draper trying to swipe second with two outs; Draper is second in the SEC with 37 stolen bases this year. The win was Arkansas’ first road win at Auburn since 2012 and the team’s eighth over a ranked team this season.

GAME 2: #11/13 Auburn 4, #16 Arkansas 2 | Box Score

As they did in Saturday’s opener, the Razorbacks scored first with a run in each of the first two innings. Belans stayed hot at the plate with an RBI infield single that plated Buczek from third, the 99th run scored in her career. Senior Loren Krzysko put Arkansas up 2-0 with an opposite field, solo shot in the second inning. It was her sixth home run and the team’s 47th of the season.

Haff got the start in game two and kept Auburn off the scoreboard until two-run homer in the third inning by Courtney Shea. The game remained tied until the bottom of the fifth when the Tigers took the 4-2 lead with a two-run frame. Arkansas was able to get a runner on base in the sixth and seventh innings but weren’t able to push across any runs. With the win, Auburn claimed the 2-1 series win.

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