The Arkansas Razorbacks (44-14) will have to continue waiting for their first Women's College World Series berth in school history after falling short to the Ole Miss Rebels (42-19) 7-4 in Game Three of the Fayetteville Super Regional at Bogle Park on Sunday.
Ole Miss senior Aliyah Binford spun 5.2 innings of two-hit relief, allowing one run with four strikeouts and retired 16 of the final 17 batters she faced.
Arkansas freshman righty Payton Burnham got the start less than 24 hours removed from tossing a complete shutout on Saturday night, but Ole Miss tagged her for four earned runs in the first inning and southpaw Robyn Herron relieved her in the second.
Burnham returned to the circle with one out in the fifth frame after Herron gave up two earned runs in 3.1 innings. Burnham looked much more settled in her return, sitting down seven Rebels in a row before Lexie Brady smacked a two-out solo home run over the left center field wall to make it a three-run game.
The loss marked the third time in five seasons the Razorbacks have fallen in a Super Regional at home. They were swept in 2021 by Arizona and took Game One against Texas in 2022 before dropping the final two matchups.
Binford issued a one-out walk to SEC Player of the Year Bri Ellis in the bottom of the seventh, but struck out Courtney Day and Kailey Wyckoff on consecutive at-bats to slam the door and secure the Rebels' first Women's College World Series berth in school history. The World Series begins on Thursday at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, Okla., where Ole Miss will take on Texas Tech.
Top 1st
Payton Burnham issues a leadoff walk, then tagged for a two-run homer by Lair Beautae. Aliyah Binford followed that with a double to left field before Burnham recorded her first strikeout. A single to short by Lexie Brady that was bobbled by Atalyia Rijo prompted Arkansas head coach Courtney Deifel to head to the circle for a visit.
Burnham got Mackenzie Pickens swinging for the second out, but Binford got caught in a rundown between third and home and was ruled safe on a missed tag by catcher Kennedy Miller at the plate upon a lengthy review. The hits kept coming for the Hogs when Brady successfully stole home on a ball that was out of reach for Miller, who is shaken up on the play. Miller was taken out of the game in favor of Kailey Wyckoff, who moved behind the dish from right field. Burnham mercifully got out of the inning getting Ashton Lansdell swinging on a 2-2 count.
Bottom 1st
Speedy Reagan Johnson reached first to leadoff the inning after Persy Llamas' foot slipped off the bag on the attempted 6-3 putout. The call was reversed upon review for the first out. Raigan Kramer drew a walk on the ensuing at-bat to put SEC Player of the Year Bri Ellis at the plate. Ellis also took a free pass after pitcher Brianna Lopez heavily worked the outside corner to put runners on first and second with one out.
A third-straight free pass by Lopez put Courtney Day on first to load the bases, prompting a circle visit by pitching coach Nancy Evans as the Hog Call erupts throughout Bogle. Wyckoff goes down swinging on a three-pitch count, but another walk sent Ella McDowell to first and Kramer across the plate to put the Hogs on the board. That will be all for that frame, though, as the juiced bags were left stranded when Rijo fouled out to left.
Top 2nd
Southpaw Robyn Herron took the circle for the second and Miller also returned behind the plate, while Wyckoff went back to right. An impressive diving catch by second baseman Karlie Davison provided Herron a quick out to get the frame started, then McDowell gobbled up a bunt to throw out Taylor Malvin at first for the second out. Herron completed a 1-2-3 inning when she got Pone swinging low in the zone on a full count.
Bottom 2nd
Moments after making that highlight catch, Davison worked the count full, but fouled out. Miller knocked a single up the middle, then Johnson slapped down the third base line when the batting order flipped.
That is all for Lopez, Binford comes in to pitch with runners on first and second with one out. Kramer popped up to third on Binford's first pitch and a five-pitch walk to Ellis loaded the bases for the second straight inning with two away and Day's single through the right side scored Miller and Johnson.
Wyckoff tied the game on a soft grounder to short to bring an ecstatic Ellis home, then a fielding error safely put McDowell on first to juice the bags again. Binford finally escaped the inning after Rijo grounded out to first, but not before the Hogs made it four all.
Top 3rd
Herron got behind 2-0, then issues a full count leadoff walk to Beautae but she recovers to sit down the rest of the side. Binford worked the count full on the ensuing at-bat, but Herron got her swinging on a riseball. Llamas flied out to left, then Brady fouled out to Ellis at first.
Bottom 3rd
Binford retired Davison, Miller and Johnson in order and only needed seven pitches to finish the third.
Top 4th
Herron is tagged for her first hit, a grounder that ricocheted off of her leg and rolls to Rijo who does not make the throw and Pickens reaches first. Herron worked the count full against Lansdell, but Lansdell won the battle and took first to put runners on first and second. Ellis and McDowell's arms collided attempting to snag a pop up by Deleon, but Ellis gloves it with it to record the first out.
Pinch hitter Taylor Roman reaches first on a fielder's choice, then Pone gave the lead back to the Rebels on a sac fly to center that scores Pickens. Beautae flies out to left to end the frame preventing any further damage. A earlier failed double play attempt for the second out proved crucial in that frame.
Bottom 4th
Binford again sits down the side in order for the second straight frame, all via groundouts; first by Kramer, then on a full count to second by Ellis, before the final out was recorded against Day on a 5-3 putout.
Top 5th
In some pitcher on pitcher crime, Herron gets Binford swinging at a ball in the dirt and Miller throws to first to complete the K. Llamas floats a soft liner over McDowell's head, then Brady took a free pass on a 3-1 count, Herron's third walk of the afternoon.
Starr plated another run for the Rebels to make it 6-4 on a liner to third by Pickens, prompting Deifel to go back to Burnham with two runners in scoring position and one out. Burnham came out of the dugout and recorded her fourth punchout of the afternoon against Lansdell before Davison made another diving web gem catch and throws to first to get the out on the bang-bang play.
Bottom 5th
A nasty changeup from Binford got Wyckoff to swing through for the first out, then Binford retires her ninth and tenth consecutive batters via groundouts from McDowell and Rijo.
Top 6th
Burham has settled in since making her return to the circle and retires the side in order. She has sat down the first five batters faced since coming back in.
Bottom 6th
Davison barreled a shot to center, but there was plenty of time for Addison Duke to get under it for the out. Binford then got Miller swinging with a changeup on a 2-2 count before Johnson fouled out to third. The Hogs can not get anything going against Binford, who has now retired 13 straight. Heart of the order due up for the Rebels.
Top 7th
Burnham worked two quick outs and appeared she would get out of the inning quickly, but Brady had other plans as she smoked a two-out solo bomb to left center to stretch the Rebels' lead to three runs. Pickens nearly left the yard on the ensuing at-bat, but Johnson robbed her of it with a snag at the wall.
Bottom 7th
The heart of the Hogs' order was due up with Kramer, Ellis and Day, but Binford put an exclamation mark on her dominant relief outing as Arkansas was only able to get one runner on via a free pass to Ellis. After Day went down on an 0-2 count, Binford completed the game when she got Wyckoff swinging on a full count.