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.
