Deifel Earns 400th Career Win as No. 7/8 Arkansas Run-Rules Omaha, 10-2
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The No. 7/8 Arkansas Softball team improved to 14-1 by defeating Omaha 10-2 (5 inn.) while giving Arkansas Head Coach Courtney Deifel her 400th career victory on Thursday evening at Bogle Park.
With the win, Arkansas is now 14-1 on the season with 10 wins coming by way of run-rule. The Razorbacks are also on a 12-game winning streak, which is tied for the third-longest in program history. With win No. 400, Deifel now owns a 400-207 career record in her 12 years as a collegiate head coach, including a 373-180 mark in 11 seasons at Arkansas.
Omaha took an early 1-0 lead with a solo home run from third baseman Bailey Sample in the top of the first inning. The Mavericks’ lead would be short-lived, however, as The Hogs crushed three solo home runs in the bottom of the first off the bats of Dakota Kennedy, Tianna Bell and Brinli Bain, to take a 3-1 lead they would not relinquish. Ramsey Walker added a solo shot in the bottom of the second while back-to-back singles from Kailey Wyckoff and Atalyia Rijo extended the lead to 6-1 in the third. Omaha would cut the Hogs’ advantage to four courtesy of a solo home run from Taylor Sedlacek in the top of the fourth inning before Arkansas put the game away with a four-run bottom of the fourth.
Bell (2-3, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R) and Bain (2-2, HR, 3 R, RBI, BB) led the Bogle Bombers from the fourth and fifth spots in the lineup, respectively. Atalyia Rijo (2-3, 3 RBI) also drove in three runs in the victory courtesy of a pair of singles.
Robyn Herron was once again dominant in the circle. The senior left-hander improved to 7-0 after striking out 11 and allowing just two solo home runs and one walk in her five innings pitched. It marked Herron’s 14th career double-digit strikeout game, which is tied for the second all-time by an Arkansas pitcher alongside Katy Henry (2005-2008). Mary Haff is the all-time program leader with 16 (2018-2022).
Omaha (12-2) ace Maddia Groff (3-2) took the loss after allowing seven earned runs on nine hits and two walks while striking out five over 3.2 innings pitched.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both teams went with their aces in the matchup as Robyn Herron earned the start for Arkansas, while Omaha started Maddia Groff.
In the top of the first inning, Herron fanned her first two batters faced before the Mavericks’ Bailey Sample hit a solo home run to center field. Herron then bounced back with another strikeout to end the frame.
Arkansas fought right back in the home half of the first inning. Dakota Kennedy tied the game courtesy a solo home run to center field. Arkansas added two more runs later in the frame courtesy of solo dingers from Tianna Bell and Brinli Bain, increasing the Hogs’ lead to 3-1. Bain’s no-doubt round-tripper to right field was the first of her collegiate career.
Herron spun a scoreless second and third innings while striking out four of her six batters faced.
In the bottom of the second inning, Ramsey Walker increased the Hogs’ lead to 4-1 with a solo home run to center field, her second of the season.
Bain walked with the aid of an illegal pitch with two outs in the bottom of the third inning. Karlie Davison followed with a single to left field before Kailey Wyckoff singled to center field to score Davison and move Bain to third. A batter later, Atalyia Rijo increased the Hogs’ lead to 6-1 with an opposite-field bloop single down the left-field line.
The Mavericks’ Taylor Sedlacek led off the top of the fourth inning with a home run to right field to cut the Hogs’ lead to four.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Reagan Johnson led off with a single through the left side before stealing second base with one out. A double off the bottom of the left-field wall from Bell scored Johnson and pushed the Razorbacks’ lead back to five. Following Bell’s double, Omaha elected to bring in Grace Hornbuckle in place of Groff. After the pitching change, Bain singled to center field to move Bell to third. Davison was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. Omaha looked to escape a bases-loaded jam with two outs by striking out Wyckoff, but a passed ball on the third strike allowed her to reach and brought Bell home. Rijo then singled up the middle in the next at-bat to score both Bain and Davison, making it the final, 10-2. Wyckoff was thrown out on Rio’s single at third base to end the frame.
Herron continued to retire the Mavericks courtesy of strikeouts in the top of the fifth. The Tampa, Fla., product started off the stanza with back-to-back punch outs before issuing a walk to Omaha first baseman Alyson Edwards with two outs in the frame. Following the free pass, Herron recorded her 11th and final strikeout of the night by getting Haley Wilwerding to swing and miss on an 0-2 pitch for the last out of the ball game.
QUOTABLES
Arkansas Head Coach Courtney Deifel
On the offensive approach…
“I loved that they knew what they were hunting. DJ (Gasso) had them prepared. They did a lot of film and they trusted their prep and plan. I am really proud of them. Obviously, with the home runs, but I felt like every out was loud. We strung some things. We scored every inning. There is so many great things against a really tough pitcher. She can flat spin it. It is great to see them trust their plan and put it to work.”
NOTABLES
- Arkansas increased its winning streak to 12 games. The Hogs’ 12-game winning streak is tied for the third-longest in program history, trailing only a 19-game winning streak in 2019 and a 14-game winning streak a year ago. It marks the 11th season in program history in which the Hogs have recorded a winning streak of 10+ games.
- Freshman Brinli Bain extended her reached-base streak to 15 games. She has now reached safely in all 15 of her collegiate games. She is the first freshman to reach base in the first 15 games of the season since Devon Wallace in 2012. Wallace had a 16-game reached base streak to start her freshman campaign.
- Arkansas is now on a program-record 10-game errorless streak. The previous program best was seven games set in 2022.
- Courtney Deifel recorded her 400th career victory. Deifel now owns a 400-207 career record in her 12 years as a collegiate head coach, including a 373-180 mark in 11 seasons at Arkansas.
- Brinli Bain registered her first collegiate home run with a solo shot in the first inning.
- Reagan Johnson registered her 241st career hit. Johnson needs 21 more hits to break the all-time Arkansas career hits record, held by Hannah McEwen (261)
Up Next
Arkansas continues the Wooo Pig Classic tomorrow with Boise State (4:45 p.m.) and Charlotte (7 p.m.) Both games will be televised on SEC Network+.
For schedule updates and other news, go to ArkansasRazorbacks.com, or follow @RazorbackSB on X, Instagram and Facebook.
