Robyn Herron pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings in relief and the No. 14 University of Arkansas softball team outlasted No. 25 South Carolina 4-3 in a windy series opener Friday evening in Columbia, S.C.
The Razorbacks (29-10, 8-5 SEC) went ahead in the sixth inning on a throwing error that scored Cylie Halvorson from first base, and Herron stranded runners in scoring position in the seventh to end the game.
Arkansas extended its win streak over the Gamecocks (28-14, 4-9) to seven games, dating to 2019. It was the Razorbacks' fourth consecutive win at South Carolina.
Herron, a left-hander, worked out of a jam in the seventh inning as the Razorbacks took their fourth series-opening victory in conference play this season.
A walk and a base hit gave South Carolina runners on second and third base with one out before Herron recorded her sixth strikeout and induced a game-ending line drive to right field.
The strikeout was against pinch hitter Karley Shelton, who was inserted to force a lefty-on-lefty matchup. Herron fell behind 3-1 but won the battle by getting Shelton to chase after a full-count riseball out of the zone.
It was an important out to prevent any balls hit to the outfield that would tie the game.
"It was huge," Arkansas Coach Courtney Deifel said of the swinging strikeout. "[Herron] hadn't been as consistent going at her lefties, and usually that's her money. So they went for the lefty-lefty matchup and [Shelton] kind of helped us out there. She stretched the zone, but Rob's spin was on and she went for it.
"It was a really, really big strikeout to get in that moment."
It capped an impressive relief performance for the sophomore.
Herron threw 57 of her 92 pitches for strikes and stuck out 6 in relief of starter Morgan Leinstock.
Heavy winds played a factor throughout the game. Gusts as high as 39 mph in the first inning prompted the SEC Network broadcast team to lower its center field camera angle to prevent its cameraman from potentially falling onto the field.
Arkansas took advantage of the weather. South Carolina committed four errors, three of which came on plays the Razorbacks scored.
"That's exactly what we did," Deifel said of her team putting the ball in play to force the Gamecocks to field cleanly. "It wasn't a day that necessarily flowed for us. I think we grinded, I think that we made them make plays and ultimately they couldn't overcome their mistakes on defense today. But that's us putting the ball in play and putting pressure on them."
The Gamecocks scored in the first with an RBI single by Kianna Jones. It came during a 37-pitch inning for Leinstock, who got out of a bases-loaded jam to keep the score 1-0.
The Razorbacks answered in the top of the second inning when a single from Nia Carter scored Hannah Gammill (walk) and Halvorson (double) to put Arkansas ahead 2-1.
A two-run homer by Riley Blampied in the bottom of the second gave South Carolina a 3-2 advantage. The Gamecocks chased Leinstock, the reigning SEC co-pitcher of the week, during the inning.
Leinstock threw 53 pitches over 1 2/3 innings and gave up 3 runs on 4 hits.
Gammill tied the game 3-3 in the third inning on an RBI sacrifice fly to score Bri Ellis, who walked and advanced to third on a South Carolina throwing error.
The wind played a factor on the shallow sacrifice fly, which was caught by Gamecocks second baseman Emma Sellers twisting backward and diving to the ground. It gave Ellis a chance to tag from third and score.
"That would be routine most days," Deifel said of the play. "[It gave] Bri time to tag. It was wind that was changing the game. I thought that we handled the circumstances as well as we could."
An error bit the Gamecocks again in the sixth inning. Halvorson hit a two-out single and raced home in the next at-bat on a throwing error by South Carolina shortstop Brooke Blankenship to put Arkansas ahead 4-3.
Halvorson was 2 of 3 at the plate and extended her hitting streak to 5 games. Her hot streak has come after going hitless in 10 of the 13 games prior to the stretch.