Razorbacks Clinch Series Win at No. 25 Missouri
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The University of Arkansas softball team hit three home runs and Caroline Hedgcock collected the first win of her career Sunday afternoon in a 4-2 road win over No. 25 Missouri. The victory clinched the series for the Razorbacks and pushed the team’s record to 24-14 overall with a 4-11 mark in SEC play. A.J. Belans and Madison Yannetti each hit a home run—two for Belans—in the win.
The last time Arkansas won an SEC road series against a ranked team was 2013 when the team took two of three from then-No. 8 Missouri. That series also began with a game-one loss followed by wins on Saturday and Sunday.
Final: Arkansas 4, #25 Missouri 2 | Box Score
After getting out of a two-on, no-out jam in the bottom of the first inning, Arkansas got on the scoreboard with Belans’ solo home run to left. The Hollywood, Fla., native deposited a 1-1 offering from Missouri starter Cheyenne Baxter over the fence in left field for her fifth big fly of the season.
Making her third start of the series, Autumn Storms pitched out of early trouble before Missouri (21-16, 4-7 SEC) broke through with a two-run shot by Kirsten Mack. The home team stranded runners on second and third in the first and second innings. Hedgcock came in to relieve Storms and recorded the final two outs of the third to keep Arkansas within one.
In a similar start to the second, Belans led off the fourth frame with a solo shot to center field to tie the game. The two-homer performance is the Razorbacks’ fifth of the year, joining teammates Nicole Schroeder (three times) and Tori Cooper (once) in the feat. Belans is also the first Razorback since Devon Wallace (2012, Alabama) to hit two home runs in an SEC game. Yannetti put Arkansas in front with a two-run shot to left center, her fourth long ball of the year.
The final four innings belonged to Hedgcock who retired the first nine Missouri hitters she faced before a one-out error put a runner on first in the sixth inning. She responded with her second strikeout of the game and grabbed a liner back to the circle for the third out of the frame. Including a 1-2-3 seventh inning, Hedgcock retired 14 of the 15 hitters she faced without allowing a hit or walk in 4.2 innings of relief.
Up Next
The Razorbacks begin a five-game home stand Tuesday, April 11, when they host Tulsa. First pitch of the midweek matchup is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Bogle Park. The game will be streamed live on SEC Network+ and also be available through the WatchESPN app.
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