FAYETTEVILLE — The No. 17 University of Arkansas softball team stopped a couple of streaks with a 5-1 victory Friday night over Ole Miss at Bogle Park.
The Razorbacks roughed up the reigning SEC Pitcher of the Week Anna Borgen and snapped the Rebels’ 11-game winning streak in the process.
Arkansas (21-3, 4-0 SEC) scratched out a run in in the bottom of the second on Valerie Ventura’s two-out infield single to snap Borgen’s streak of scoreless innings at 36 2/3. The Razorbacks then added three more in the third on a run-scoring double by Hannah McEwen and an RBI-single by Danielle Gibson. They also took advantage of a two-out error by Ole Miss to add another for a 4-0 lead.
Gibson, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, said the team stuck to its approach against the senior left-hander.
“We just kinda grinded in practice through Tuesday and Wednesday kind of getting that curve ball backdoor which was what she was throwing,” Gibson said. “We stuck to our plan of making it super simple, not trying to swing for the fences.”
The Razorbacks banged out 10 hits against Borgen, who came into the game with a 0.36 ERA. They also did it without one of their most potent bats in the lineup. Shortstop Braxton Burnside, who leads the SEC and ranks second in the country with 15 home runs, didn’t play because she wasn’t feeling well, Arkansas Coach Courtney Deifel said.
She’s hopeful Burnside could return to the lineup today.
The Razorbacks are now 4-0 in the SEC for the first time since 2009 and have now won 20 out of their last 21 games.
Grabbing the momentum early was a key, Deifel said.
“Anytime you can get on the board first in these SEC battles, it’s huge but especially with the way Borgen’s been throwing the ball,” Deifel said. “… I think sometimes how you get on the board can also shift momentum. Obviously Linnie [Malkin] had a great at-bat there. We put Cally [Kildow] in to run, she got a great read on the ball back to the pitcher.
“And then Val just grinded. Obviously she didn’t hit it that well but she hit it right to where it would be a tough play and legged it out.”
Arkansas took control, scoring three times in the third and adding another in the fifth to chase Borgen (6-1) from the game. Gibson doubled and scored on Kayla Green’s single for a 5-0 Razorbacks’ lead. It was Gibson’s 11th double of the season, which is tied for the SEC lead.
McEwen and Sam Torres joined Gibson with two hits each for the Razorbacks. First baseman Sydney Guitierrez went 2 for 3 for Ole Miss (18-8, 3-1). Autumn Gillespie drove in the Rebels’ lone run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth following a two-base error by the Razorbacks.
That was more than enough for Mary Haff, who improved to 13-2 with the complete-game victory. She scattered seven hits, struck out four and did not walk a batter.
Deifel said Haff wasn’t at her best but kept Ole Miss off balance.
“It was just a gutsy performance,” Deifel said. “She did enough to make them mishit the ball and that’s ultimately the pitcher’s job just kinda create outs. Usually she creates outs a little differently. She didn’t have her best stuff tonight, but she had a ton of guts.”
The teams continue the three-game series today at 1 p.m. at Bogle Park.