NORMAN — KendallWellshit her 33rd home run of the season, but it wasn’t enough to lift top-ranked Oklahoma to a win over No. 8 Arkansas.
The Razorbacks used a late two-run home run to take the lead, then held off the Sooners in a 3-2 Arkansas win at Love’s Field.
Oklahoma (41-6, 14-3 SEC) has dropped three of its last four games.
After Tianna Bell‘s two-run homer in the sixth, the Sooners quickly cut the deficit in half on Wells’ 238-foot solo home run to left.
The home run moves Wells within one of tying Jocelyn Alo‘s program record for home runs in a season and within four of tying the NCAA record.
But Robyn Herron came on to strike out Ella Parker and then got Gabbie Garcia to foul out to end the inning.
Sydney Berzon retired the side in the order in the sixth, getting three groundouts, to keep it a one-run game.
Isabela Emerling, who had homered twice in the series, led off and struck out on a ball low and away.
Kasidi Pickering then line out to center on the first pitch, leaving Ailana Agbayani to try to keep the game alive. Agbayani grounded out to second to end the game.
Just after Oklahoma tied it in the fifth, the Razorbacks came back to take the lead in the sixth off Berzon.
Berzon started the inning by hitting Ella McDowell with the first pitch, then Bell crushed Berzon’s first pitch 259 feet to left center to put Arkansas ahead 3-1.
Arkansas jumped on top in the second on Kennedy Miller‘s two-out RBI double down the right-field line.
Miller’s hit drove in Kailey Wyckoff, who reached with a single after Miali Guachino retired the first two hitters of the inning. With a 3-2 doubt to Miller, Wyckoff took off on the pitch, allowing her to come around and score without a throw.
After a walk, Karlie Davison‘s nearly made it 4-0 but Parker made a leaping grab at the wall to end the inning and keep OU’s deficit at 1-0.
In the third inning, Arkansas leadoff hitter Reagan Johnson flied out to left, but it was Parker, the right fielder, that caught it, as the Sooners were using an extreme outfield shift.
Two batters later, left fielder Abby Dayton made a diving grab of McDowell’s liner to left for the second out of the inning.
Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news.
The Sooners’ bats were quiet until the fifth, when Emerling led off the inning with a 262-foot home run to left center to tie the game.
The home run was the 16th of the season for Emerling, extending her career high. Emerling had a grand slam in Oklahoma’s series-opening win Friday.
Emerling also homered off Arkansas pitcher Payton Burnham in last season’s SEC Tournament.
The Sooners and Razorbacks wrap up their series at 1 p.m. Sunday at Love’s Field. The game will be streamed on SEC Network+.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
