No. 9 Arkansas softball walks off No. 5 Florida for series win

Dakota Kennedy's 3-run home run lifted the Razorbacks to their fourth straight series victory over the Gators on Sunday.

Mar. 29, 2026 at 9:26pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A cubist-style painting featuring overlapping geometric shapes and planes of bright red, blue, and yellow colors, conceptually representing the dynamic action and energy of a softball game.A fractured, multi-perspective illustration captures the dramatic comeback victory for the Arkansas softball team over a top-5 opponent.Fayetteville Today

In the decisive Game 3 of their series against No. 5 Florida, the No. 9 Arkansas softball team rallied from a 4-0 deficit with a 3-run home run by left fielder Dakota Kennedy in the bottom of the seventh inning to win 6-4 and take the series.

Why it matters

This was the Razorbacks' fourth straight series win over the Gators, showcasing the team's resilience and ability to fight back from large deficits against a top-5 opponent. The win also keeps Arkansas in the hunt for a high NCAA tournament seed.

The details

Florida jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the first three innings, but Arkansas chipped away with a 3-run home run by Karlie Davison in the fifth. The Razorbacks then loaded the bases in the seventh before Kennedy's walk-off blast won the game. Saylor Timmerman pitched 6 strong innings in relief for Arkansas.

  • Arkansas scored 3 runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
  • The game-winning home run by Dakota Kennedy came in the bottom of the seventh inning.

The players

Dakota Kennedy

The Arkansas left fielder hit a 3-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to win the game for the Razorbacks.

Saylor Timmerman

The Arkansas right-handed pitcher threw 6 innings in relief, allowing only 1 run on 3 hits with 5 strikeouts.

Karlie Davison

The Arkansas second baseman hit a 3-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning to bring the Razorbacks within 1 run.

Courtney Deifel

The head coach of the Arkansas softball team praised her team's resilience and fight in coming back to win the series against a top-5 opponent.

Keagan Rothrock

The Florida ace pitcher had not allowed a hit to Arkansas through 4.1 innings before the Razorbacks rallied against her.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We keep finding different ways to win. We're not our best version yet, and we're still working towards that. Today, the fact that we reset in the way that we did, it was incredibly impressive to me. It was poised, it was seasoned.”

— Courtney Deifel, Arkansas head coach

“I was just thinking that the pressure is on the other team, it's not on me. My teammates had done their job, especially Saylor, all game. I was just trying to get a pitch that I could hit.”

— Dakota Kennedy, Arkansas left fielder

What’s next

The Razorbacks will host Auburn for a three-game series beginning on Saturday, April 4 at Bogle Park.

The takeaway

Arkansas' come-from-behind victory over a top-5 opponent showcases the team's resilience and ability to fight back from large deficits, keeping them in contention for a high NCAA tournament seed despite some early SEC struggles.