Razorbacks' chance to make history taken by Ole Miss instead

Burnham lasted 3 2/3 innings before being replaced by ace Robyn Herron, who went the final 3 1/3.

Ole Miss threw the first punch of the game, taking a 2-0 lead before an out was even recorded. After going 0 for its last 14 in Game 2 against Payton Burnham, left fielder Jaden Pone led off the game with a full count walk before right fielder Lair Beautae homered to left,

Ole Miss used smart base running to force home two more runs, putting on a delayed steal with runners on first and third. The trail runner broke for second while the lead runner, designated player Aliyah Binford broke for the plate.

Arkansas catcher Kennedy Miller looked to have got her in a rundown, but Binford evaded the tag and scored another run.

" We've only ran it one time this entire season," coach Jamie Trachsel said about the delayed steal. "We've not practiced it once. [Offensive coach] Ehren [Earleywine] mentioned something today that he saw on film. We don't practice it, we haven't run it. That was a total read on his call and just the right timing for that,"

On the next pitch catcher Lexie Brady stole home to stretch the lead to four before Arkansas swung the bat.

In a 4-4 game, Ole Miss scratched across solitary runs in the fourth and the fifth, which ultimately ended up being the difference in the game.

A failed fielder's choice at second base proved to be the difference. Instead of runners at the corners with two outs, the bases were loaded with one out.

Pone lobbed a ball into center for the go-ahead sac fly, which would also turn out to be the winning run.

The Rebels got a key insurance run in the top of the seventh when Brady hit her team-leading 17th homer. That extra run would prove important as it took away any chance for first baseman Bri Ellis to represent the tying run in the bottom of the inning.

Binford, who is a two-way player, retired 11 of the last 12 hitters she faced after the Rebels got her the lead.

The Hogs had 2-3-4 in their order due up but couldn't muster anymore than a one-out walk from Ellis. By not hitting a homer for her final eight games, she remains tied for the SEC single-season record for homers (26).

" She's a great coach," left fielder Raigan Kramer said about Deifel. "Me and the team wanted it so bad for her because she deserves it and I love her.

Ole Miss is the only unseeded team to make the final eight in Oklahoma City. The event begins Thursday, where Oklahoma will look to win the national title for the fifth straight year.

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