Mary Haff allowed one run on six hits and struck out 10 in a complete-game effort to lead the No. 19 University of Arkansas softball team to a 4-1 victory over No. 20 South Carolina in the teams’ SEC opener on Friday in Columbia, S.C.
Haff improved to 11-1 this season.
Braxton Burnside hit her 12th home run of the season, a two-run shot in the fifth inning, to lead the Razorbacks (18-2, 1-0 SEC). Linnie Malkin also homered Friday, hitting her eighth home run of the season in the sixth inning.
Burnside’s two-run home run gave the Razorbacks a 2-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning. After South Carolina cut the lead to 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning on Aaliyah White’s RBI single, Arkansas made it 4-1 in the top of the sixth inning with Malkin’s home run and a pinch-hit RBI single from Lauren Graves.
Arkansas and South Carolina meet in the second game of the three-game series at 1 p.m. Central today. The Razorbacks have won 17 games in a row.