Arkansas

Herron’s no-hitter gives UA best start | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Published

1 year ago

February 17, 2025

Herron’s no-hitter gives UA best start | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Robyn Herron capped the University of Arkansas softball team’s undefeated stay in Ruston, La., by tossing the program’s 12th no-hitter Sunday.

No. 13 Arkansas (10-0) defeated Louisiana-Monroe 10-0 in five innings, powered by Herron’s dominant performance in the circle. The win gave the Razorbacks their best start to a season in program history.

Herron (3-0) struck out 11 batters and threw 49 of 71 pitches for strikes. She lowered her season ERA to 0.74 over 19 innings pitched.

“It was really, really nice to wrap up the weekend with that,” Arkansas Coach Courtney Deifel said. “She was just really dialed in. It was a really good matchup but then her stuff was working and she was in really good control. It was a really good ending to a really great weekend.”

The Warhawks (2-7) drew walks and another reached on a wild pitch after striking out swinging. But aside from that, Louisiana-Monroe had no answer for the left-handed junior from Tampa, Fla.

It was the second collegiate no-hitter for Herron, who pitched a perfect game against Illinois State on Feb. 24, 2024. Herron’s two no-hitters are second most in program history behind Mary Haff, who tossed three in her career from 2018-22.

“It was really exciting,” Herron said. “I love to compete, and I love that my defense backed me up and I had so many runs to just pitch freely. It was very fun.”

Arkansas’ batters provided all the support Herron would need with eight runs in the second.

Kailey Wyckoff hit a double down the right-field line with the bases loaded to open the scoring at 2-0. Wyckoff went 3 for 4 with two RBI.

Warhawks starting right-hander Dakota Lake (2-2) continued to run into trouble in the inning. She hit Ella McDowell with a pitch to load the bases before walking Bri Ellis and Courtney Day to extend the Arkansas lead to 4-0.

Victoria Abrams replaced Lake then gave up consecutive two-RBI doubles to Raigan Kramer and Atalyia Rijo.

Rijo had an impressive weekend at the plate, batting 8 for 14 (.571) with 1 home run, 5 doubles and 8 RBI. She was 2 for 3 against Sunday against Louisiana-Monroe.

“She’s been really, really grinding on both sides, and so we saw that this weekend,” Deifel said of Rijo. “She’s just seeing the ball really well right now and just trusting her timing and putting really good swings on pitches. And even the ones she’s missing, I mean, she’s just putting her swing on the pitches that she’s hunting, and there’s lots to be said for that.”

The Razorbacks pushed their lead to 10-0 in the third inning with a run-scoring single by Wyckoff and an RBI flyout by Ellis.

Herron protected the lead and struck out all three batters she faced in the fifth inning to end the game. The Razorbacks pulled out run-rule victories in all five of their games over the weekend.

By sweeping a doubleheader Sunday — the Razorbacks beat Southern Miss 12-3 in five innings earlier in the day — Arkansas won its first 10 games of a season for the first time.

“We obviously know that one’s coming at some point,” Deifel said. “But I think when a team goes out there and just tries to play their level of softball and just really control what they can control, good things can happen and will happen.

“I think I have liked that more than anything, is they’re not going out worried about winning or losing. They’re just going out worried about playing Razorback softball. That’s what we’re seeing right now.”

Ellis hit a grand slam in the fourth inning to highlight Arkansas’ victory over Southern Miss early Sunday.

Her seventh home run of the season pushed her batting average to .609 with 14 hits, 3 doubles and 22 RBI. Ellis extended her commanding lead for active career home runs in Division I with 55.

“She can just do damage every time she steps in the box and that is the mindset that she is in right now,” Deifel said. “It is just getting in the box and hunting for her pitch and putting a big swing on it.

“She is obviously seeing the ball really well right now, but she’s worked for this, and this is who Bri is. It is just nice to see her do that.”

Arkansas will put its unbeaten record to the test next weekend at the Mary Nutter Classic, which will include games against No. 4 UCLA and No. 23 Baylor. The Razorbacks will begin their stay in Cathedral City, Calif., with a game against Rutgers at 11:30 a.m. Central on Thursday.

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Arkansas

Arkansas to honor Nolan Richardson with statue outside arena

Published

30 minutes ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Arkansas to honor Nolan Richardson with statue outside arena

Myron MedcalfMar 5, 2026, 12:03 AM ET
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- Covers college basketball
- Joined ESPN.com in 2011
- Graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato

Multiple Authors

Former Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson, who led the Razorbacks to the 1994 national title, will be immortalized with a statue outside Bud Walton Arena, the school said Wednesday.

Richardson was on the court at halftime of No. 20 Arkansas’ 105-85 win over Texas in the team’s regular-season home finale Wednesday night when athletic director Hunter Yurachek surprised him and told him the school had commissioned a statue to commemorate his achievements.

Per the school’s announcement, work on the statue is set to begin soon.

“Coach Richardson’s impact on the game of basketball and our state is immeasurable,” Yurachek said in a statement. “He represented Arkansas with a toughness and intense work ethic that endeared him to our fans while changing the lives of numerous athletes, coaches and staff under his direction. His ’40 minutes of Hell’ changed college basketball and led to the 1994 national championship that changed Arkansas and our university forever. Coach Richardson will stand tall outside the arena for the rest of time.”

BUILD THE STATUE. LIVING LEGEND. 🐐 pic.twitter.com/2nJPh1d6zo
— Arkansas Razorbacks Men’s Basketball 🐗 (@RazorbackMBB) March 5, 2026

Richardson coined the phrase “40 Minutes of Hell” in reference to the ferocious, full-court defense his Arkansas teams played during his tenure (1985-2002). Between Arkansas and his first Division I job at Tulsa, Richardson amassed 508 wins (389 with the Razorbacks), reached the Final Four three times and secured Arkansas’ only national title.

Richardson also was a member of the Texas Western (now UTEP) teams that preceded the school’s victory over Kentucky in 1966, when five Black players started an NCAA championship game for the first time and won. That game paved the way for Black players to compete at schools that had previously rejected them.

Richardson, one of six SEC coaches to win a national title since 1990, was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014.

After Wednesday’s game, current Arkansas coach John Calipari joked that he’s contractually obligated to clean the statue once it’s finished.

“Which I will do in a pleasant way because I love it,” he said. “He’s been so good to me since I’ve been here.”

Richardson and Arkansas were not on good terms when they divorced in 2002. But the two sides have repaired the relationship over the years. The university renamed the floor at Bud Walton Arena “Nolan Richardson Court” in 2019. Richardson praised Calipari’s hiring in 2024 after he left Kentucky, and he has been around the program since Calipari’s arrival.

“He should have been had a statue, I think,” said Trevon Brazile, who finished with 28 points on his senior night Wednesday. “They won the national championship.”

Added Darius Acuff Jr., who finished with 28 points and 13 assists against the Longhorns: “It’s great to see that for sure. Coach Richardson is a big part of our team. He’s been to a couple of our practices, so it’s always good to see [him]. He’s a legend.”

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Arkansas

Autopsies rule Arkansas mothers death a suicide; twin children’s deaths homicides

Published

13 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Autopsies rule Arkansas mothers death a suicide; twin children’s deaths homicides

BONANZA, Ark. (KATV) — According to our partners at 40/29 News, autopsies show that Charity Beallis died by suicide, and her six-year-old twin children died by homicide.

Beallis and the children were found on December 3, 2025, in their home in Bonanza. All three had gunshot wounds.

Records show that Beallis and her husband were in the process of divorcing when the murders happened. 40/29 reports that Beallis’ son has asked that their divorce be considered final, while her husband, Randall Beallis, has asked the court to dismiss the divorce proceedings.

The news release listed the following evidence:

— An examination of the transcripts of the deposition of Mrs. Beallis in the divorce/custody case and the final hearing on the case on 12-2-2025, reveal that she wished to be reconciled to her estranged husband, which did not happen. Mrs. Beallis, after being represented by four different attorneys, represented herself in the contested divorce/custody hearing. At the conclusion of the hearing, Mrs. Beallis was ordered to begin joint custody of her children with her estranged husband.

–Mrs. Beallis’ estranged husband was a driver of a Tesla electric vehicle at that time. Tesla has compiled location data on Tesla vehicles, and according to the information provided by Tesla, Mrs. Beallis’ estranged husband’s vehicle was not near the residence in Bonanza on the night in question. Also, the estranged husband’s phones did not “ping” any of the cell towers proximately related to Ms. Beallis’ location.

–Information from the home security alarm company shows the alarm was deactivated by Mrs. Beallis by her phone (she had exclusive access to the security system) at around 10 pm on the night in question. Even though deactivated, the alarm company was able to provide information showing no doors or windows to the home were opened during that time. When law enforcement arrived after 9:30 am on 12-3-2025, there were no doors or windows open, and they had to use a key to enter the home. SCSO rigorously tested the functioning of each door and window and found them to be operating properly.

The court released an order on Wednesday stating that it does not have jurisdiction to rule on those motions regarding the divorce. Beallis’ body has been released to her son, while the children are with Randall Beallis.

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Arkansas

Frightening times for Hannahs in Israel | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Frightening times for Hannahs in Israel | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Wally Hall

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Wally Hall is assistant managing sports editor for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. A graduate of the University of Arkansas-Little Rock after an honorable discharge from the U.S. Air Force, he is a member and past president of the Football Writers Association of America, member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, past president and current executive committee and board member of the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame, and voter for the Heisman Trophy. He has been awarded Arkansas Sportswriter of the Year 10 times and has been inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and Arkansas Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame.

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