Arkansas
Arkansas wins ugly to extend season; now need just one more to make history
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Over the past 56 games, Arkansas’ season is filled with plenty of different pretty moments.
Three of the program’s 17 no-hitters came within the last three months. Twenty-three run-rule victories is a program record for a season that shattered the old record of 16 (2014).
In an elimination game, none of it was pretty. Lefty starter Payton Burnham was throwing up just hours before she took the mound to spin a complete game shutout.
Although she retired the final 14 hitters, she had to strand a runner on base in each of the first three innings in a 2-0 game.
Burnham had her Jordan flu game moment, battling an illness over the past 36 hours.
“ Resting [and] recovering,” Burnham said. “Just trying to get back to at least 80% as fast as possible.”
The Arkansas offense, ranked eighth in runs in the NCAA that averaged nearly eight runs a game, was held to just six hits on four runs.
All the runs were aided by less than stellar Ole Miss defense.
The two runs in the first came without the ball ever leaving the infield. The two runs in the fifth came directly as a result of a pair of errors.
“It doesn’t matter what it looks like,” coach Courtney Deifel. “Tonight it was a phenomenal performance on defense and our hitters did enough, and that’s really all that matters.”
In a season of pretty wins, historical moments and beauty prizes of offensive brilliance, it was perhaps the most ugly duckling of them all that extended its season an extra day.
“ She wants the ball,” Deifel said about Burnham. “She wants the moment. If you’re gonna be a pitcher, you have to want that. It takes a special breed to do that. She thrives in it, and she was just really excited to feel better.”
Now Arkansas finds themselves in the same position that they were nearly three years ago. The Hogs managed just five hits across seven innings in a decisive game three in 2022 against Texas.
Their season ended with a whimper, as the Longhorns took the ticket to Oklahoma City away from Deifel and the Razorbacks on their home field.
The Hogs look to avoid that same fate three years later, win and make program history.
“ I don’t know another team that would be able to do what they did yesterday,” Deifel said. “Just was incredibly proud of ’em.”
“For them to turn the page from yesterday and show up today and play loose with their backs against the wall, but never feeling that from them was really special.
“They know tomorrow’s about toughness. It’s gonna take a lot of guts, a lot of heart, and a lot of toughness. They’ll be ready.”
Ole Miss doesn’t have the same scar tissue, with the first game being the first Super Regional win in school history. It’s a one game shootout where the pressure cooker gets cranked up to another level.
“Having the ability to let go,” Ole Miss coach Jamie Trachsel said. “The great players, the elite players, they just do it faster than everybody else. We would have liked to win, we didn’t. Our team has done a pretty good job of flushing and moving on.”
First pitch between Ole Miss and Arkansas is scheduled for 4 p.m. Sunday and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2.
CORNING, Ark. (KATV) — Regulatory Enforcement Agents with the Department of Finance and Administration, along with local police, seized a significant amount of illegal THC products from Pacific Green in Corning on Tuesday.
According to the DFA, more than a dozen agents joined the City of Corning Police in the day-long operation that resulted in two arrests.
DFA agents seized more than 25 pounds of illegal products consisting of flower, vapes, and edibles.
Owner Ben Bennett and employee Sharia Shipman were arrested and both charged with the following:
- Delivery of a Schedule VI controlled substance (Class D Felony)
- Possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance with the purpose to deliver (Class B Felony)
- Controlled substances – Offenses relating to records, maintaining premises (Class C Felony)
- Possession of drug paraphernalia (Class D Felony)
- Unauthorized use of another person’s property to facilitate certain crimes (Class C Felony)
Bennett’s bond was set at $150,000, while Shipman’s bond was set at $100,000.
“In addition to selling illegal products, investigators confirmed violations involving underage access at this location,” said David Potter, Director of the Regulatory Enforcement Division. “This retailer, which was located within 1,000 feet of a school, presented significant public health and safety concerns. We are proud to partner with the Corning Police Department in addressing these violations. We seized a substantial quantity of illegal products, including flower, vapes, edibles, and other items, during the operation. We appreciate the cooperation of local law enforcement and information received from the community that led to yesterday’s operation and stopped this blatant disregard of the law.”
Note: All suspects accused of a crime are presumed innocent unless proven guilty by a court of law.
The Department of Finance and Administration said Arkansans can use Apple Wallet to present their license or ID in person, online and in apps at select organizations, including at more than 250 Transportation Security
IDEMIA Public Security North America and the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration’s Division of Driver Services and Motor Vehicles have launched Arkansas driver’s licenses and state IDs in Apple Wallet, allowing residents to securely store and use their credentials on an iPhone or Apple Watch.
The new feature gives Arkansans the ability to present their identification at participating businesses and venues, at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints in more than 250 airports, and online or within apps when age or identity verification is required.
The launch builds on Arkansas’ ongoing efforts to expand digital identification options. In March 2025, the state introduced the Arkansas Mobile ID app, and officials say adding IDs to Apple Wallet offers residents another secure and convenient way to access their credentials.
“We’re proud to build on our partnership with the Arkansas DFA’s Division of Driver Services and Motor Vehicles, expanding on the launch of the Arkansas Mobile ID app in March 2025. The launch of ID in Apple Wallet in the state provides Arkansas residents a new, secure way to store and present their digital credentials, with transparency and control over how their information is shared at the forefront,” said Rob Gardner, CEO, IDEMIA Civil Identity.
To add an Arkansas driver’s license or state ID to Apple Wallet, users can tap the plus sign at the top of the Wallet app on their iPhone, select “Driver’s License or State ID,” and follow the verification process.
Officials say privacy and security were central considerations in the rollout. Information stored in Apple Wallet is encrypted on a user’s device, and users control when and how their information is shared. When presenting an ID, only the information necessary to verify age or identity is provided.
Apple and the Arkansas Division of Driver Services and Motor Vehicles also do not receive information about when or where residents use their digital IDs.
The technology is also designed to make verification easier for businesses. Participating businesses can use IDEMIA’s Mobile ID Verify app to accept and verify mobile IDs directly from an iPhone without requiring customers to hand over their devices or use additional hardware.
The launch marks another step toward broader adoption of digital credentials in Arkansas, giving residents a secure alternative to carrying a physical driver’s license or state ID while maintaining control over their personal information.
For information on the launch of IDs in Apple Wallet in Arkansas, click here.
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