WOO PIG CLASSIC

Schroeder goes yard again for Razorbacks

Arkansas players congratulate Nicole Schroeder (29) as she crosses the plate Friday, March 3, 2017, after Schroeder's two-run home run in the fourth inning against Nebraska at Bogle Park in Fayetteville.

FAYETTEVILLE -- In a game with a combined five hits, it was Razorback right fielder Nicole Schroeder who delivered the decisive at-bat that propelled Arkansas to a 2-0 win against Nebraska on Friday at Bogle Park.

With both teams struggling to produce any type of offense during the first three innings, Schroeder broke the stalemate with a two-run home run in the fourth, her 10th in 14 games.

Arkansas 2, Nebraska 0

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Jablonski and Cassidy; Moll and Hiers. W - Moll, 6-0. L - Jablonski, 1-6. Sv. - None. HRs -Arkansas, Schroeder (10).

"She brings confidence for our whole team," Razorback coach Courtney Deifel said. "You see her in big moments continuously step up, and it just fuels the ones around her."

Arkansas (13-1) had failed to reach base until Nebraska pitcher Kaylan Jablonski walked Hogs' catcher Shelby Hiers in the bottom of the fourth, setting up Schroeder for her NCAA-leading 10th home run of the season. Schroeder homered twice in a mid-week game against Oklahoma State on Wednesday.

The Hogs' offense cooled down some after Schroeder's blast over the centerfield wall, as only one other Razorback recorded a hit in the game. Designated hitter Katie Warrick chipped in a double in the fifth inning.

The reigning SEC Player of the Week, Schroeder recorded her sixth multi-hit game after adding a double to give her 16 extra-base hits on the season and improved her batting average to .511.

Even though the Hogs wouldn't score the rest of the night, Schroeder gave Razorback pitcher Grace Moll some breathing room after she had been battling Jablonski inning-after-inning all day.

"Schroeder is unbelievable," Moll said. "(Her home run) gives me so much more confidence knowing that my offense, in clutch positions, has my back. As a pitcher, you just pitch a lot freer."

Moll earned her second shutout of the season. She didn't surrender a hit to the Cornhuskers (2-12) after giving up two in the first inning and finished with four strikeouts and four walks in the game.

She also stranded four Cornhuskers on base, including getting out of a jam in the first with baserunners on second and third.

"You always have to make the first inning interesting," Moll said with a smile. "No one wants a boring first inning. Bouncing back from that, it gets the worst out of the way. In the first inning, I didn't really let my defense work as much as I should've, but knowing how awesome they are, I just needed to let them work. After that, I did and it was a lot easier."

Sports on 03/04/2017