Mistakes plagued the No. 14 University of Arkansas softball team during a 2-1 loss to No. 25 South Carolina on Saturday at Columbia, S.C., to even a three-game series.
The leadoff batter reached base for the Razorbacks (29-11, 8-6 SEC) in each of the first five innings, but strikeouts and trouble on the base paths proved too much to overcome.
Arkansas' seven-game winning streak against South Carolina, dating to 2019, ended. A series-deciding Game 3 is scheduled for today at noon Central.
Razorbacks right-hander Reis Beuerlein started and pitched two innings. She made her first appearance since Feb. 25 due to an undisclosed injury that caused her to miss extended time.
Beuerlein was relieved in the third inning after a leadoff double by Aniyah Black that was inches away from being a home run. She was responsible for pinch runner Emma Sellers at second base, who later scored in the inning on an RBI single by Giulia Desiderio that gave the Gamecocks a 1-0 lead.
The loss was credited to Beuerlein, who gave up one hit against seven batters faced. She threw 28 pitches and had 1 strikeout and 1 walk.
Through the first three innings, the Razorbacks stranded three base runners and had another two called out. Bri Ellis was caught stealing to end the first inning with a runner on third base, and in the third inning Reagan Johnson was called out for leaving early on a steal attempt.
South Carolina (29-14, 5-9) scored again in the bottom of the fifth inning, when third baseman Denver Bryant doubled to left-center field off Arkansas reliver Morgan Leinstock. It scored Desiderio, who walked with one out, and gave the Gamecocks a 2-0 lead.
Leinstock pitched the final 3 2/3 innings for the Razorbacks and gave up 1 run on 3 hits. She threw 49 pitches with 2 walks and 2 strikeouts.
Arkansas' Kennedy Miller hit an RBI single to right-center field that brought the score to 2-1. The Razorbacks had runners on first and second base with one out, but a great play by South Carolina center fielder Riley Blampied ended the threat.
Hannah Camenzind shot a deep fly ball to center field and Blampied made a fully-extended catch to rob what would have been a game-tying hit. Nia Carter tried to race back to second base, but a throw from Blampied beat her there and ended the inning with a double play.
Arkansas went down quietly in the seventh inning to end the game. It marked the third consecutive series in which the Razorbacks have lost Game 2.
South Carolina freshman Sage Mardjetko, who relieved starter Jori Heard in the third inning, recorded her seventh win. She pitched 3 1/3 innings and gave up 1 run on 3 hits. Alana Vawter pitched a scoreless final 1 2/3 innings and earned a save.
Johnson led Arkansas at the plate hitting 3 for 4. Miller was 2 of 3, and Ellis and Cylie Halvorson added 1 hit apiece.