Moll, Razorbacks Collect Two Wins Saturday
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Junior Grace Moll pitched her way to two wins Saturday to lead the University of Arkansas softball team Saturday on day two of the Wooo Pig Classic at Bogle Park. The Razorbacks posted wins over Wright State and Northern Iowa to register their ninth and 10th victories of the season. Arkansas closes out the home weekend Sunday with a game against Wright State at 12:30 p.m. (CT).
Game 1: Arkansas 6, Wright State 2 | Box Score
The Razorbacks jumped out to an early lead with a pair of runs in each of the first two innings. With the bases loaded in the first, Shelby Hiers bounced a single through the infield to plate Arkansas’ first run of the game. Madison Yannetti followed with a bases-loaded walk to collect an RBI and bring Rachel Box home from third. The home team tacked on two more in the second with a solo shot from Parker Pocklington and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Ashley Diaz, her fourth of the year.
In the circle, Moll was perfect through three innings before finally giving up a hit with one down in the fourth. Pitching her fourth complete game of the season, the Shelbyville, Ill., native allowed just two runs—one earned—on three hits to go along with three strikeouts. Wright State scored both of its runs in the fifth inning to cut the Razorbacks’ lead in half.
The home team got one run back with a score in the fifth inning when pinch runner Morgan Felts came around to score from second on a defensive misplay on a ground ball up the middle. In the sixth, the Razorbacks re-established their four-run advantage with a two-out RBI single for Hiers that plated Nicole Schroeder who got things going with a double to the wall in right field. Moll secured the win with a 1-2-3 top of the seventh, gloving a ball back to the circle and flipping it to first for the final out.
Game 2: Arkansas 4, Northern Iowa 3 | Box Score
Like it did in Friday’s game between the two teams, Northern Iowa (14-6) jumped out to an early lead, scoring two runs in the top of the first inning. Moll kept the Panthers off the scoreboard through the fourth inning which allowed Arkansas to tie the game at 2-all in the bottom of the fourth. In her first at-bat of the day, and with the bases loaded, Loren Krzysko drew a walk to plate the game-tying run.
UNI responded with a bases-loaded walk of its own to regain the lead in the top of the fifth inning. Hiers stepped to the plate with one out in the home half of the inning and deposited her fifth home run of the season over the fencing in center field to tie the game. On the next pitch, Tori Cooper copied her teammate with a solo home run to left field to give the Razorbacks the 4-3 lead. It was Cooper’s second home run of the weekend against Northern Iowa.
Moll made the lead stand up through the top of the sixth and into the seventh where she ran into some trouble. Northern Iowa had a runner on first who came around on a double down the line in left field, but on an appeal, the umpire called the would-be scorer out for missing third base on her way home. Holding on to the one-run lead with runners on first and second, Moll struck out the final hitter of the game to seal the victory.
Season tickets are now on sale for $45 through the Razorback Ticket Center. For more information about purchasing season tickets, call 800-982-HOGS (4647) or 479-575-5151, email raztk@uark.edu or visit the Razorback Ticket Center located next to Baum Stadium. For more information about Arkansas softball, follow @RazorbackSB on Twitter.
