Razorbacks outslug No. 11 Oklahoma 11-9

NORMAN, Okla. – Miranda Dixon hit a pair of three-run home runs Wednesday as the Arkansas softball team used a five-run sixth inning to beat No. 11 Oklahoma, 11-9. The win is the Razorbacks’ first in Norman and second in the all-time series with the Sooners. Dixon also recorded the save when she re-entered the ballgame in the bottom of the sixth.Trailing 7-6 after five, the Razorbacks started a rally with a base hit up the middle by Tori Mort. Kayla Johnson and Sandra Smith followed by earning walks to load the bases for Amie Hubbard. The senior infielder lifted a two-run double to left center to score Mort and Johnson and regain the lead for Arkansas. Dixon increased the Arkansas lead to 11-7 with her second home run of the day, a three-run shot to left field.Arkansas (23-15) started the game quickly and put two runs on the board in the top of the first on a double by Whitney Cloer, her 13th of the season. Oklahoma’s Haley Anderson responded with a three-run home run in the bottom of the second to give the home team a 3-2 lead.In the top of the third, Dixon cleared the left field wall with her first home run of the game, a three-run line drive that also plated Johnson and Hubbard. Arkansas led, 5-3. Dixon has hit six home runs in the Razorbacks’ last seven games. Her six-RBI performance is a season high and she is now tied with Cloer for the team lead with eight homers.The teams traded runs in the bottom of the third and top of the fourth—a solo shot by Johnson—before the Sooners tied the game on a two-run blast by Amber Flores. Oklahoma seized momentum and the lead, 7-6, with a home run by Karolyne Long to lead off the bottom of the fifth. The two regional foes combined for six home runs, three for each side, including Dixon’s knock in the top of the sixth.Trailing by four entering their half of the sixth, the Sooners cut their deficit in half with a pair of runs. With the bases loaded, Dani Dobbs was hit by a Kim Jones offering which moved each runner up a base and brought Samantha Ricketts home. Oklahoma tacked on another run when a pitch by Dixon, on in relief, got by Cloer. Arkansas couldn’t push a run across in the top of the seventh and clung to an 11-9 lead heading into the bottom half of the inning.After Dixon recorded the first out on a fly out, she walked the next two batters, Evan Sallis and Flores, to bring Ricketts to the plate. With the game in the balance, Ricketts grounded out to Smith at first to put the Razorbacks one out away from the upset victory. On the first pitch of the next at-bat to Katie Norris, Dixon got the Sooner freshman to pop out to Cloer behind the plate to seal the win for Arkansas.The Razorbacks return to Fayetteville for a weekend series with No. 19 LSU beginning Friday, April 10. Game one of the doubleheader will begin at 4 p.m. at Bogle Park. For more details and information regarding the April 11 dedication of Bogle Park, log on to ArkansasRazorbacks.com