Arkansas hangs on vs. S.C.

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas snapped a three-game losing streak, but it did not come without late drama Friday night.

Leading 3-1 going into the seventh inning, the Razorbacks gave up a solo home run to South Carolina’s Alyssa Kumiyama before second baseman Nicole Duncan’s diving catch secured the 3-2 victory at Bogle Park in the first game of a three-game series.

No. 17 Arkansas (20-6, 2-2 SEC) opened up a 3-0 lead on a two-run home run from catcher Kayla Green in the first inning and an RBI double by Duncan in the fourth. The No. 16 Gamecocks (20-6, 0-4) scored their first run in the fifth before staging their rally in the seventh.

The victory ended a three-game slide for Arkansas, which lost the final two games of its SEC-opening series at Ole Miss last weekend and a 2-1 midweek loss to Tulsa on Wednesday.

Autumn Storms (9-1) kept South Carolina off the bases, allowing 2 hits with 5 strikeouts over 42/3 innings. Mary Haff earned her second save, pitching 21/3 innings and allowing one hit, which was the home run by Kumiyama.

Arkansas had three extra-base hits off South Carolina starter Cayla Drotar (6-4), including a double by Katie Warrick.

Arkansas Coach Courtney Deifel said the Razorbacks played much better defensively, which made a big difference. The Razorbacks committed one error.

“That’s something I loved all day,” Deifel said. “Our defense played really well. They poured it out there, and I’m really proud of them.”

Green’s home run was her fifth of the season, which is second on the Razorbacks to Danielle Gibson’s seven.

SO. CAR AB R H BI ARKANSAS AB R H BI Maguire, ss 4 0 0 1 McEwen, cf 3 1 1 0 Stewart, cf 3 0 0 0 Greene, c 3 0 0 0 Clark, lf 3 0 0 0 Warrick, rf 3 0 1 0 Johns, 3b 2 0 1 0 Edwards, pr/rf 0 0 0 0 Boesel, 2b 3 0 0 0 Green, dh 3 1 1 2 Drotar, p 3 0 1 0 Diaz, 1b 0 0 0 0 Fulmer, pr 0 1 0 0 Torres, pr 0 1 0 0 Kumiyama, dh3 1 1 1 Manzo, ss 2 0 0 0 Simpson, rf 1 0 0 0 Duncan, 2b 3 0 1 1 Fabian, ph/c 2 0 0 0 Parr, lf 3 0 1 0 Owens, 1b 0 0 0 0 Bugarin, 3b 2 0 1 0 Prebble, ph 0 0 0 0 Malkin, ph 1 0 0 0 Heath, ph 1 0 0 0

Vest, c 0 0 0 0

Lindsey, rf 0 0 0 0

TOTALS 25 2 3 2 TOTALS 23 3 6 3 South Carolina ................. 000 010 1 — 2 3 1 Arkansas ........................ 200 100 0 — 3 6 1 E — Maguire, Manzo. LOB — South Carolina 5, Arkansas 8. 2B — Johns, Drotar, Warrick, Duncan, Bugarin. HR — Kumiyama (4), Green (6). S — Manzo. SF — Greene.

S. CAROLINA IP H R ER BB SO Drotar, L 6-4 6 6 3 3 4 4 ARKANSAS IP H R ER BB SO Storms, W 9-1 42/3 2 1 0 2 5 Haff, S 2 21/3 1 1 1 1 1 WP — Storms. PB — Vest. Umpires — Home: Johnson; First: McCown; Third: Bowen Daume. Time — 2:08. Attendance — 468.