Arkansas continued its winning streak with a convincing 4-1 victory away from home against Florida on Friday, thanks to a stellar performance from their star pitcher. Robyn Herron and a first-inning Bri Ellis bomb.
Herron and Florida freshman Katelynn Oxley began with the first match in the series. Right off the bat, Arkansas moved quickly when Reagan Johnson hit a double into left-center field on just the third pitch of the game. Following a walk, Ellis smashed her league-best 19th home run over the left-field fence after getting ahead in the count 2-2 with a changeup. This put the Razorbacks ahead 3-0 even before Florida managed to get their first out.
Florida’s Kendra Falby drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the first, extending her on-base streak to every game this season. However, she was caught stealing, and Jocelyn Erickson hit out to conclude the frame.
Find out more about how Herron compares favorably with Florida’s roster.
In the second inning, Oxley struck out three batters in sequence for a quick 1-2-3 frame. Herron managed to navigate through two hits in their turn at bat without allowing Florida to score. Ellis got on base with a two-out walk in the third but remained stuck at second. Meanwhile, Herron once more escaped trouble after issuing two free passes to opposing players in the lower part of the inning, keeping them from scoring.
Arkansas threatened once more in the fourth with a walk and an Ella McDowell Single. A solid Florida defense helped save the Gators. Erickson caught the ball near the netting. Rylee Holtorf he pulled off a catch over his shoulder to neutralize the threat. In the bottom of the inning, Arkansas' defense responded, snagging three strongly hit balls to conclude the fourth frame still leading 3-0.
Oxley started settling during his third attempt in the sequence, replacing Ellis who was making his debut appearance in the fifth inning. Herron stayed precise, and McDowell delivered an impressive performance at third base to thwart yet another offensive push from Florida. Following McDowell’s second successful effort in the sixth frame, Atalya Rijo Doubled up at the center, placing two runners in scoring positions. Nevertheless, Oxley prompted a couple of fly outs to wriggle free from the jam.
Florida finally broke their 16-inning scoreless streak with a solo home run from Taylor Shumaker In the sixth inning, he narrowed Arkansas’s lead to 3-1. Herron then bounced back swiftly, striking out the following three hitters.
Softball America April positional power rankings P | C | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF | UTL
Kara Hammock stepped up to replace Oxley in the seventh inning, concluding the rookie's appearance after six innings pitched. Arkansas took advantage of the mound switch. Johnson got a hit, and Raigan Kramer strolled, followed by a two-out RBI single Kailey Wyckoff To extend their advantage to 4-1. Arkansas managed one more run, but a powerful throw from the outfield prevented a scorer at home plate, thus concluding the inning.
In the seventh inning, Herron came back into the game and closed the door, resulting in Florida’s second consecutive defeat for the first time this season. The southpaw pitched all seven innings, giving up only one run on seven hits along with four strikeouts. Oxley absorbed the loss for the Gators after permitting three runs in six innings of effort.
The second game of the series is scheduled for Friday at 4 p.m. ET on ESPNU. While Arkansas seeks to secure its third consecutive SEC series victory, Florida hopes to tie up the series.
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