Moll, Razorbacks Battle No. 9 OU in Front of Record Crowd

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Playing in front of the largest home crowd in program history, the University of Arkansas softball team battled No. 9 Oklahoma in a 3-1 loss Wednesday evening at Bogle Park. Grace Moll registered her 18th complete game of the season while Nicole Schroeder extended her on-base streak to 10 games. The midweek matchup between regional foes was played in front of 1,531 fans, surpassing the previous mark by nearly 300 people.

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Arkansas (17-29) now travel to Oxford, Miss., for an SEC road weekend at Ole Miss. The three-game series begins Friday at 6 p.m. (CT). Saturday’s game two will be televised by the SEC Network which marks the Razorbacks’ 12th television appearance of the season. The team’s home finale begins Friday, April 29, when Arkansas hosts No. 14/15 LSU at Bogle Park.

Wednesday’s home crowd of 1,531 replaced the previous program record of 1,234 set last season against Alabama. The figure now stands as the only non-SEC attendance mark on the Razorbacks’ top-10 list. Two of the 10 all-time home crowds stem from the program’s stay at Lady Back Yard, Arkansas’ home facility from 1997 to 2008.

Moll scattered eight hits through seven innings Wednesday, allowing three runs—one unearned—against the Sooners. She finished the game with five strikeouts to push her season total to 148. With 10 games remaining in the regular season, Moll is now just 14 strikeouts shy of joining the program’s career top-10 list. In erasing a lead-off single in the second, the defense turned its SEC-leading 22nd double play of the season.

With a one-out double through the infield and to the left-center gap, Schroeder posted her seventh two-base hit of the year which also pushed her current hitting streak to a season-high six games. She has now reached base safely in 10-straight games, tying her career-long streak from her freshman season in 2013. Schroeder has a hit in nine of those 10 games. It was the first of two doubles in the game for Arkansas which saw Shelby Hiers knock one off the wall in the sixth.

Oklahoma (35-7) threatened right away by loading the bases with one out in the first inning but Moll responded to keep the visitors off the scoreboard with a strikeout and groundball to second. The Sooners broke through with an unearned run in the third inning which allowed lead-off hitter Erin Miller to score on an RBI single by Caleigh Clifton. The Sooner extended their lead with a two-run blast by Fale Aviu in the fifth inning.

Down to their last two outs, the Razorbacks scored in the bottom of the seventh to pull to within one. Loren Krzysko reached on a bobbled ball at shortstop and stood on second after a wild pitch. Oklahoma starter Paige Parker struck out the next hitter but a wild pitch and throw to first to complete the out allowed Krzysko to hustle around for Arkansas’ run.

For more information about purchasing tickets for home games this season, call 800-982-HOGS (4647) or 479-575-5151, email raztk@uark.edu or visit the Razorback Ticket Center located next to Baum Stadium. The ticket window opens one hour before first pitch of each home game. Follow @RazorbackSB on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more information about Arkansas Softball.