Arkansas softball trails Missouri in a suspended game in the SEC tournament

Thunderstorms caused the Arkansas softball team to suffer a weather-related delay in the fifth inning of Thursday night’s SEC Tournament opening game against Missouri in Auburn, Ala., suspending play until Friday morning.

When play resumes at 9 a.m. Friday, Mizzou will lead 2-1 and have runners on first and third base with no outs.

Missouri gave the go-ahead a few minutes before the delay, which took effect at 9:24 p.m. when lightning was detected within 8 miles of Moore Field.

Missouri took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI double by Maddie Gallagher, scoring Jenna Laird (single). Gallagher’s hit probably should have been intercepted, but there was a miscommunication between the Razorbacks’ outfielders.

Arkansas third baseman Hannah Gammill tied the game at 1-1 in the fourth inning when she ended a nine-pitch batter with a solo home run over the centerfield wall.

The Tigers quickly regained the lead in the fifth inning when they took advantage of another error by the Razorbacks.

Kayley Lenger hit an infield single that barely stayed fair at the first base line. Arkansas catcher Kennedy Miller waited for the ball to foul, but it stayed on the chalk. Miller had time to grab the ball and throw it to first base.

Laird sent Lenger home with an RBI double off the wall in the next at-bat to give Missouri a 2-1 lead.

After a hit by Alex Honnold gave the Tigers a run on the corners with no outs, Arkansas starter Morgan Leinstock was replaced in the circle by Robyn Herron.

Herron threw two pitches – both strikes – before the game was stopped.

Leinstock pitched 4 innings, gave up 7 runs and 1 walk, had 1 wild pitch and struck out 5.

It was the second time Thursday’s games were affected by severe weather. The quarterfinal games between Georgia-Florida and South Carolina-Texas A&M were postponed until Friday after rain pushed back Thursday’s first game between LSU and Tennessee from 10 a.m. to 5:02 p.m

LSU defeated SEC regular-season champion Tennessee 2-1 and awaits the winner of Arkansas and Missouri in the semifinals.