CONWAY, Ark. – The Central Arkansas softball team will head to #15 Arkansas on Tuesday for the first of two meetings with the Razorbacks this season. First pitch against the Hogs is set for 11:30 a.m.
The Bears (11-16) head to Fayetteville after the first weekend of ASUN play. The Bears scratched and clawed in game one before ultimately falling 2-1 in 11 innings. It marked the first double-digit inning game for Central Arkansas since the ASUN Championship against Liberty in 2023.
Bailie Runner went the distance, throwing 132 pitches while scattering five hits and recording three strikeouts.
Kylie Griffin had two hits in the game, one of four Bears to record a hit.
Griffin continues to swing a good bat, leading the team with a .391 average. She also leads the team in hits (36) and triples (3), while having the fewest strikeouts of anybody on the team that's picked up a bat this season, striking out just once.
Addie Graham has also been hitting well, with a .364 average and 32 hits, adding eight doubles. Griffin, Graham and
Renee Christian are all tied for team lead with seven stolen bases this season, and a large reason the Bears are 34 of 35 on the basepaths.
The fielding has been one of the bigger improvements over the course of the season for Central Arkansas, with just four errors over the last eight games, including zero for a four-game stretch over the last two weeks. The clean defense has allowed the Bears to retire batters and end innings quickly, which included a streak of 16-straight batters retired by Runner in game one of the EKU series.
Arkansas (20-6) started the year 19-1 before the start of SEC play, and has since lost conference series to No. 25 Ole Miss and No. 1 Oklahoma. After getting shut out in game one against the Sooners, the Hogs put together 6-4 and 10-7 losses, battling against the reigning national champs.
The Razorback offense has been dominant this season, with a team average of .350 and 38 home runs. The Hogs have outscored opponents 220-76 this season, in large part due to the ability to get on base; Arkansas has a team OBP of .470. Bri Ellis has been the main contributor to the offense. Hitting .540 this season, she's been one of the best hitters in the country, and has 15 home runs and 25 walks as well.
The pitching staff holds a collective 3.05 ERA, with five pitchers tossing at least ten innings this season. Robyn Herron has 51.0 innings, recording a 2.33 ERA with 62 strikeouts, adding up to a 7-3 record.
First pitch against the Hogs is set for 11:30 a.m. at Bogle Park. The game will be streamed on SECN+, with live stats available online.
