Razorbacks softball tops Tulsa behind Herron’s 13-K gem

TULSA, Okla. — Robyn Herron was practically untouchable Wednesday night at the Collins Family Softball Complex and Karlie Davison made sure the Razorbacks had the runs to back her up.

The No. 6/9 Arkansas softball team walked out of Tulsa with a 7-2 victory, fueled by Herron’s 13-strikeout complete game and a three-run home run from Davison that set the tone early.

The Razorbacks are now sitting at 37-8 on the season.

Herron’s night wasn’t just good, it moved her into the record books. The senior left-hander from Tampa, Fla., picked up her 13th win of the year by going all seven innings and allowing just four hits, two runs and zero walks.

Her 13-strikeout effort was the 16th time in her career she’s reached double digits in strikeouts, which ties her with Mary Haff from 2018 to 2022 for the most in program history.

The Razorbacks never trailed.

Davison put them in front to stay with a three-run blast to left field in the top of the second inning, capping a two-out rally that started with a Kennedy Miller double to center and a Cam Harrison walk. It was a swing that changed the energy of the game right away.

Herron kept doing her part on the other end, facing the minimum in the first two innings and racking up strikeouts at a steady pace.

She wouldn’t let the Golden Hurricane get comfortable at any point during the contest.

Hogs build lead with balanced offense

Arkansas wasn’t finished after Davison’s homer. Brinli Bain started the third inning with a walk, extending her reached-base streak to nine games.

She worked her way around to third and scored on an RBI single from Atalyia Rijo, pushing the lead to 4-0. Kailey Wyckoff singled right after that to move Rijo to third, but Tulsa’s pitcher worked out of the jam.

The Hogs stretched the lead to five in the fourth when Ella McDowell doubled to left field and drove in Reagan Johnson, who’d reached via fielder’s choice and then swiped her 18th stolen base of the season. Johnson’s theft helped set up a key scoring chance and McDowell delivered.

Tulsa answered in the bottom of the fourth when Daeya Moses hit a two-run home run that scored Claira Skaggs, cutting the Arkansas lead to 5-2.

That’s as close as the Golden Hurricane could get.

Herron continued to deal after that, striking out the side in the bottom of the sixth and closing out the game with a clean 1-2-3 seventh inning.

She picked up her 13th and final strikeout for the second out of the final frame, finishing what she started.

The Hogs added two more insurance runs in the top of the seventh.

Rijo doubled down the right-field line to lead off the inning, moved up on an infield single from Wyckoff and later scored on an RBI fielder’s choice from Ramsey Walker.

Ashtyn Reichardt followed with a run-scoring single to left that made it 7-2 and put the game firmly out of reach.

Record chasing up and down the lineup

It wasn’t just Herron making history Wednesday.

Reagan Johnson recorded her 207th career start batting leadoff, breaking the previous program record of 205 starts set by Devon Wallace between 2012 and 2015.

Johnson’s 68th career stolen base in the fourth inning also moved her within eight of Rachel LeMaster’s program record of 75, set from 2004 to 2007.

Miller’s second-inning double pushed her reached-base streak to 13 games, a career high. Bain, who drew two walks on the night, kept her own streak alive at nine games.

Davison finished 2-for-2 at the plate with a hit-by-pitch added on. McDowell went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

Rijo matched that line — 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI of her own. Wyckoff was also productive, going 2-for-3 with a walk.

Tulsa starter Maura Moore took the loss, dropping to 9-14 after giving up four runs on five hits across three innings. The Golden Hurricane fell to 17-27 on the year.

The road win continued a strong midweek stretch for the Razorbacks, who’ve built one of the nation’s better records while playing in the SEC. With the regular season winding down, Arkansas has positioned itself well heading into the postseason conversation.

What’s next for the Razorbacks

The Hogs head back to Fayetteville for what’ll be the final home series of the regular season.

Arkansas hosts Missouri at Bogle Park from April 24 through April 26 in a three-game set that’ll wrap up the home slate before the postseason push begins.

It’s a meaningful stretch run for a team that’s shown it can win on the road, put up runs in bunches and get dominant pitching performances when it counts.

Herron in particular has been one of the most reliable starters in college softball this season and Wednesday’s outing at Tulsa was another example of what she’s capable of.