Hogs Demolish Coastal Carolina, Fall to Virginia on Day Two of Kickin’ Chicken Classic

CONWAY, S.C.– The Arkansas softball team split day two of the Kickin’ Chicken Classic as the Razorbacks run-ruled tournament host Coastal Carolina (11-1, 5 inn.) after falling to Virginia (4-2) earlier in the day at St. John Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Arkansas is now 3-1 on the young season with all three wins by way of run rules, after defeating Virginia (17-1, 5 inn.) and Akron 9-1 (6 inn.) on Friday.

Tianna Bell continued her strong performance at the plate by going 6-6 on the day with two RBI, two doubles, and four runs scored. Bell tied a career high with three hits in both contests.

Senior left-handed pitcher Robyn Herron was dominant in the win over Coastal Carolina. The Tampa, Fla., product struck out 10 while carrying a no-hitter into the fifth inning until the Chanticleers’ Brie Normandin broke up the bid with a double to left-center field. With the win, Herron improved to 2-0 on the season after fanning 10 and allowing one run on one hit with no walks. Ramsey Walker put an exclamation point on the win by smashing her first collegiate home run, a pinch-hit three-run shot down the left-field line in the top of the fifth inning. Walker’s three-run blast accounted for the Hogs’ final three runs of the game. In addition to Bell going 3-3, freshman Brinli Bain went 2-2 with a run scored and a walk. Ella McDowell recorded multiple hits with a 2-3 effort at the plate to go along with two runs scored and an RBI. Kailey Wyckoff also drove in two runs courtesy of a single and a fielder’s choice.

Bell and sophomore Cam Harrison were bright spots in the loss against Virginia (3-1). Bell went 3-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Harrison came out of the bullpen in the second inning and struck out five while allowing just one run on three hits and two walks in six innings of work. Bain (1-3, 2B, RBI) also drove in a run with a double off the center field wall in the second inning.

GAME TWO
Robyn Herron made her second start of the season, while Savannah Jones got the start for Coastal Carolina.

Both sides were sat down in order during the first inning. Herron issued a groundout before registering consecutive strikeouts in the bottom of the first.

Tianna Bell singled up the middle to lead off the top of the second inning before advancing to third on a Brinli Bain single. A batter later, Cam Harrison put the Hogs on a board with an RBI single to shallow center field that scored Bell. Kailey Wyckoff then made it 2-0 with an RBI single through the right side.

Following the two runs plated by the Razorbacks, Herron fanned two in a 1-2-3 bottom of the second inning.

Arkansas added three more in the top of the third inning. Dakota Kennedy reached on an error to lead off the frame. Ella McDowell then followed with a single through the left side before Bell made it 3-0 in favor of the Hogs with an RBI double off the wall in right field. Wyckoff then grounded into a fielder’s choice to bring home another run before a passed ball brought home one more and extended the lead to 5-0.

Herron continued to dominate in the circle, striking out the side in the home half of the third.

Reagan Johnson legged out an infield single with one out in the top of the fourth and then stole second before advancing to third on a groundout. Following the groundout, McDowell lined an RBI single to right field, which scored Johnson. Bell then doubled to left center to move McDowell to third; the double was the second of the game for Bell. Both later scored courtesy of a passed ball and an error, a batter later. Bain was thrown out at second base trying to stretch a single into a double to end the inning.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Herron recorded all three outs by way of strikeouts. The Chanticleers’ Georgina Hood became the first baserunner of the game courtesy of an error.

Ramsey Walker provided the final three runs of the game for Arkansas in the top of the fifth inning by blasting her first career home run, a pinch-hit three-run shot down the left-field line.

During the home half of the fifth, Herron retired McKenna Metzger by way of a groundout for out No. 1. Brie Normandin then broke up Herron’s no-hit bid in the next at-bat with a double to left-center field. Freshman Lillie-Faye McWhorter relieved Herron following Normadin’s double. Coastal Carolina would plate its lone run a batter later when Livi Payne doubled to right field, scoring Normadin. Following Payne’s double, McWhorter issued a groundout and got the Chants’ Clara Hudgens to strikeout swinging to end the game.

Herron improved to 2-0 for Arkansas, while Coastal Carolina starter Savannah Jones took the loss after allowing four runs on five hits in addition to two strikeouts.

GAME ONE
In the morning matchup with Virginia, Payton Burnham made her first start of her sophomore season for Arkansas, while the Cavaliers went with left-hander Courtney Layne.

The Cavaliers’ Jayden Hilton doubled on the first pitch of the game and later came around to score on an RBI fielder’s choice from Jaiden Griffith. Virginia then extended its lead to 3-0 on a two-run home run over the center field wall from Macee Eaton

Layne retired the Hogs in order during the bottom of the first.

Cam Harrison replaced Burnham in the circle to start the top of the second inning. Virginia increased its lead courtesy of a two-out RBI single from Eaton, which drove home Hilton, who reached on a walk with one out in the inning.

Tianna Bell singled down the left-field line to lead off the bottom second inning for Arkansas’ first hit of the morning. Brinli Bain then put the Hogs on the board by working a 3-2 count before smashing a double off the wall in center field to plate Bell and cut the Virginia lead to 4-1.

Harrison and Layne retired the opposing sides in order during the third inning and would stay in the circle for their respective teams throughout the remainder of the game.

Following a scoreless top of the fourth, that featured Harrison’s second strikeout of the day, Arkansas added another run in the bottom of the fourth inning to make it the final, 4-2. Ella McDowell led off the frame with a single down the third-base line, then later came around to score on Bell’s RBI single to centerfield. Bell reached second on the play due to an error by Virginia. She later moved to third on a groundout for the second out of the inning, but would be stranded as Layne ended the threat with a strikeout.

Both sides went down in order in the fifth inning, which featured Harrison fanning two of the three batters she faced.

In the top of the sixth, Virginia put a pair of baserunners on by way of a single and a walk, but a 5-3 groundout double play from McDowell ended the Cavaliers’ threat and kept the score intact. Bell added her third hit of the game with a single up the middle in the bottom of the sixth.

Harrison and Layne retired the side in order in the top and bottom of the seventh, respectively. Layne (1-0) earned the win for Virginia after pitching a complete game in which she allowed two runs on five hits and registered seven strikeouts. Burnham (1.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 K) took the loss for Arkansas, falling to 0-1 on the season.

QUOTABLES

Arkansas Head Coach Courtney Deifel

On the day…
“Our response today in game two was great. That is what we want to see from them. We know early, we are still figuring out who we are. Knowing things that we really like and things we need to change. This morning, we did not really like our competitive energy. Sometimes that is going to happen early. We have to figure out who we are going to be and the second game, I thought we really answered and responded really well. Cam (Harrison) threw really well this morning. Robyn (Herron) came in and set a really good tone against a really good offensive team. I am really pleased overall with who we were in the second game.”

NOTABLES

• Arkansas is now 40-10 during opening weekend contests under head coach Courtney Deifel (2016-present).
• Robyn Herron registered her 11^th career double-digit strikeout game. Her 11 career games of 10+ strikeouts rank third all-time among Arkansas pitchers, trailing only Katy Henry’s 14 (2005-2008) and Mary Haff’s 16 (2018-22)
• Arkansas owns a record of 68-24 in true road games since 2020.
• The Hogs now hold a 4-3 all-time series lead over Virginia and 3-0 series lead over Coastal Carolina.
• Reagan Johnson moved into a tie with Jessica Bachkora (2007-2010) in all-time career hits by an Arkansas player with 227.
• Tianna Bell tied a career high with three hits in both games, while her two doubles in game two also tied a career high.
• Arkansas has now won 73 of its past 78 contests dating back to 2020 when recording 10+ hits in a single game.
• Arkansas is 670-105-1 when outhitting opponents since 1998 and 294-27 when doing so under Courtney Deifel.
• The Razorbacks are 260-124 (.678) in daytime contests under Courtney Deifel.

Up Next
The Razorbacks conclude play at the Kickin’ Chicken Classic tomorrow against Akron at 10 a.m.

For schedule updates and other news, go to ArkansasRazorbacks.com, or follow @RazorbackSB on X, Instagram and Facebook.