Mary Haff's Pitching Powers Hogs to Win Over Illinois

Danielle Gibson, Hannah Gammill's hitting provides enough offense in home opener

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — No. 10 Arkansas picked up a 6-3 win in its home opener against Illinois at Bogle Park on Friday afternoon.

Senior Mary Haff powered the Razorbacks on the mound to pick up her third win of the season, tossing six inning while giving up zero runs on four hits and striking out four.

The 2021 SEC co-pitcher of the Year gave up zero walks and gave up just one extra base hit.

Redshirt-senior Danielle Gibson and sophomore Hannah Gammill paced Arkansas offensively, both going 2-for-2 with two RBI and a home run.

Arkansas Communications

Arkansas Communications

Arkansas Communications

Arkansas Communications

Freshman Kacie Hoffman tallied her first-career home run in her first-career start as a Razorback. Sides went 1-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI.

KB Sides got Arkansas going in the first after drawing a lead-off walk.

A few pitches later, Sides stole second and then took third after forcing an Illinois throwing error. Danielle Gibson’s RBI double to the right-center wall plated Sides to put the Razorbacks up 1-0.

Gibson continued her hot streak in the third, launching a solo shot to give Arkansas a 2-0 edge.

Hannah Gammill followed Gibson with a single to short, but Illinois forced the innings final two outs to end the scoring threat.

Arkansas Communications

Arkansas Communications

Arkansas Communications

Arkansas Communications

Illinois threatened to jump on the board in the fifth after putting runners on first and second with one out, but Gammill closed the door on the Illini after laying out on a line drive and throwing the Illinois runner, who failed to tag, out at second to complete the double play.

Arkansas blew the game open on Gammill’s two-run home run to left center to extend the lead to 4-0.

Freshman Kacie Hoffman followed with her first-career home run on a bomb to right field to make the lead five.

Illinois didn’t back down in the sixth and tallied three runs on an RBI single and home run to cut the Razorback lead to 5-3.

With two outs at the bottom of the sixth, Sides’ hard-hit ball slipped perfectly into left-center, resulting in an inside the park home run that pushed the Arkansas lead back to three.

Illinois put two runners on with one out at the top of the seventh, but Haff forced two-consecutive fly outs to secure the Arkansas win.

Hog Highlights

• Hoffman recorded her first-career start and home run in a Razorback uniform.

• Gammill and Hoffman became the first duo to launch back-to-back home runs since Malkin and Green did against LSU on May 3, 2021.

• The last time Arkansas hit four or more home runs in the same game was against Missouri State on April 7, 2021.

• Haff earned her 80th win as a Razorback.

• Arkansas broke its opening-day attendance record with a crowd of 1,306.

• Arkansas drew a crowd of 1,306, breaking its previous opening-day attendance record

Up Next

The Razorbacks play a doubleheader tomorrow, facing Wichita State at 12:15 p.m. and Longwood at 2:30 p.m.

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