SB vs Tulsa tonight

[psycHOGlogist]

We dropped a bit of a heartbreaker, 4-3, to a pretty good Tulsa team (they were 17-5 before tonight's win).

We fell behind in the 3rd after a misplayed fly ball by Schroeder in RF put a runner on 3rd (looking into the sun, Schroeder took a few steps in on a liner that ended up going over her head; ugly looking play). Next batter hit a very sharp liner down the LF line past a drawn in Russell at 3rd scoring the runner. With 2 outs, batter grounded to Russell at 3rd, who threw to 1st for the out. The runner from 2nd tried to advance and Diaz threw back to 3rd to try to get her, but the throw was in the dirt and got past Yanetti, who was covering, and the runner scored easily.

So, neither run should have scored, imo. Very tough breaks for Moll, who was actually doing a pretty good job in the circle.

Moll had a little scare in the 4th, with runners on 1st/2nd with no outs (single and an error on Yanetti which was a semi-tough play), but she bore down and struck out the side with some good looking pitches.

In their half of the 5th, the Razorbacks went ahead 3-2 on a 2 run HR from Hiers (Archuleta had worked a good full count walk before her). Hiers' dinger was the first ball the Hogs had hit out of the infield. Their pitcher had been doing a good job getting us to chase rise balls out of the zone. After that, Russell got an infield single up the middle, Diaz extended her hitting streak to 18 games with a single to left, Box whiffed, Russell stole 3rd (bad call - she was out, imo), Cooper walked to load the bases, and then a wild pitch brought her home: 3-2 Hogs. Schroeder K'ed on a changeup for the 3rd out.

As has so often been the case once the Hogs get the lead, Moll came out and struggled. She walked the first batter on 4 pitches (sigh, but it was only her 2nd walk of the game). Next batter grounds into FC getting the lead runner. Next batter singles through the left side for runners 1st/2nd, 1 out. Next two batters walked on full counts (I really thought the pitch calling here was questionable. On the batter who walked in the run, Moll got behind 3-0, then threw two blistering fast/drop balls at the knees for strikes, then a change up was called, which she'd been struggling with, and it was chin high), scoring a run. But the team came through with a nifty 1-2-3 double play and got out of the inning. 3-3 tie.

The Hogs threatened in the B6 with runners on 1st/2nd and 1 out, but Hiers popped up and Russell whiffed (our 7th K).

Tulsa went ahead T7. First batter walked on 5 pitches (4th BB in the last two innings). Moll threw a WP advancing her to 2nd. Next batter cracked a nice single up the middle on a 3-2 pitch scoring the runner from 2nd. Next batter lines out softly to 2nd. Next batter walked (5th in last two innings). Next batter grounds into FC getting lead runner. Third out comes, after another walk, on a grounder to 2nd. So the walk/WP costs us a run.

Hogs threatened again T7. Diaz singled to left (got PR). Box singled to left, pinch runner stops at 2nd. (PR for Box, too). Cooper did not bunt, which really surprised me, but lined out sharply to SS who was able to double up the runner at 2nd who had taken a couple steps of secondary lead. Clark was the pinch hitter (really? Clark?), and she whiffed (8th K).

Tough loss. Some good things to build on, but we continue to give away runs, and that's going to kill us against good teams.

Next action is out in CA this weekend.

[hawgwatcher]

Any pitchers coming in next class? I really think we'll continue to struggle until we get a pitcher/catcher combo that can control the game. Our offense is much improved, but you can't win in SEC (or anywhere else) without a great pitcher and good #2. Any idea what recruiting for next yr looks like?

[psycHOGlogist]

There are two pitchers in the incoming class - Caroline Hedgecock and Autumn Storms. Both are ranked as Top 100 players in the country, per FloSoftball. Hedgecock is #26 and Storms is somewhere in the 70s, I think. Hedgecock, in particular, is seen as a blue chip recruit. The problem is, recruiting pitchers is a bit of a crap shoot. It's always hard to know whether the success they have at the HS/club level will translate to the college level.

We have two C's committed in 2017, Kayla Green and Nicole Duncan, but I don't think there is much help in the 2016 class. One of the Brotherton sisters plays C, but I don't know if it's her primary position or not.

[nwahogfan1]

I bet recruiting in softball is a lot like our recruiting in ladies basketball with both programs trying to raise out of the bottom half of the SEC.  We would love to sign at least one top 50 player, a player or two in the top 150 but then we will have to reach hoping the rest of our signees will be super competitive and hard working enough to raise above their ranking.  With that strategy we will miss on some  so many will transfer out almost every year until we rise in the rankings and are able to go after more elite players.  The whole key is to to keep and develop your core of better players until the better depth arrives.