Arkansas 2, DePaul 0 - Final
Haff was strong all day, and didn't allow DePaul to square up much of anything. The Blue Demons had only one traditional base hit, which came in the sixth inning.
Haff finished with eight strikeouts, did not issue a walk and now owns the program record for wins in a single season with 27.
Arkansas faces Wichita State tomorrow at 1:30 p.m.
Arkansas 2, DePaul 0 - End 6th Inning
Pat Moore was cruising through the Arkansas lineup before Tori Cooper ripped a two-out single to center and Kayla Green drew her second walk of the game. But she rebounded and struck out Bugarin to end the threat.
Haff will return to the mound to try to close this one out. She's been terrific to this point.
Arkansas 2, DePaul 0 - Middle 6th Inning
Mary Haff got three more pop ups after allowing a leadoff single for the second consecutive inning. The good new for DePaul is it actually reached an Arkansas outfielder. Haff is at 91 pitches – 61 for strikes – to this point.
Belans, Krzysko and Cooper are due up for Arkansas in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Arkansas 2, DePaul 0 - End 5th Inning
Arkansas went down quietly in the fifth against Moore. Buczek flew out to left, Diaz grounded out to third and Warrick went down swinging for the first time today.
Arkansas 2, DePaul 0 - Middle 5th Inning
Mary Haff's push for a no-hitter is over after DePaul leads off the fifth with an infield single. A.J. Belans made a nice play at short, but her throw was not in time. Haff then worked her fifth pop out of the day to secure the first out of the inning.
Gutierrez was Haff's sixth strikeout victim, and Alysia Rodriguez went down looking on a perfect off-speed to end the inning.
Arkansas will bring Buczek, Diaz and Warrick to the plate in the home fifth.
Arkansas 2, DePaul 0 - End 4th Inning
Krzysko opened the home fourth with a double off the wall in left. Zoch bounced back with a strikeout of Tori Cooper before hitting Kayla Green on the left knee with a pitch, bringing Bugarin up with two on and one away.
Bugarin grounded into a fielder's choice, and Krzysko is out at third. That will end Missy Zoch's outing. She exits after3 2/3 innings, allowing four hits, two runs – both earned – two walks and five strikeouts. Reliever Pat Moore, the Big East's Pitcher of the Year, entered and got DePaul out of the inning with another fielder's choice.
Arkansas 2, DePaul 0 - Middle 4th Inning
Haff got another weak pop out to shallow center, a groundball to second and groundout to first in yet another effortless inning. Haff is at 65 pitches – 43 strikes – through four.
Krzysko, Cooper and Green are due up for the Razorbacks in the home fourth.
Arkansas 2, DePaul 0 - End 3rd Inning
Arkansas catcher Kayla Green reached base on a walk to open the inning, and Carley Haizlip entered the game as a pinch runner. Zoch then followed with a wild pitch, allowing Haizlip to advance to second with Haydi Bugarin at the plate.
Bugarin singled up the middle to plate Haizliip while advancing to second on the throw home. Autumn Buczek, two batters later, singled to right-center to give Arkansas a 2-0 lead.
Arkansas 0, DePaul 0 - Middle 3rd Inning
Haff struck out a pair of Blue Demons, bringing her to five through three innings, and added her second foul out of the day. Here are the results of DePaul's at-bats so far: 5 strikeouts, 3 pop outs – 2 foul outs – and a groundout to short.
Haff has been impressive and very much in command. DePaul has squared up essentially nothing to this point. Arkansas' defenders really haven't had to make any plays outside of the foul outs.
Arkansas 0, DePaul 0 - End 2nd Inning
Belans hit a hard liner to third for the first out of the inning then Krzysko and Cooper both struck out on pitches well out of the zone to end the frame. DePaul starter Missy Zoch is at 28 pitches through two innings and has matched Haff with three strikeouts.
Arkansas 0, DePaul 0 - Middle 2nd Inning
Mary Haff added two more strikeouts in the top of the second inning, getting Angela Scalzitti looking and Maranda Gutierrez swinging. The Blue Demons are yet to get the ball out of the infield.
A.J. Belans, Loren Krzysko and Tori Cooper are due up for Arkansas in the home second.
Arkansas 0, DePaul 0 - End 1st Inning
DePaul didn't have much issue with Arkansas in the bottom half of the first. McEwen grounded out to second to lead things off and Buczek struck out in her first plate appearance of the day. Diaz drew a five-pitch walk before Katie Warrick flew out to deep left to end the inning.
Arkansas 0, DePaul 0 - Middle 1st Inning
Blue Demons leadoff hitter Kate Polucha made Mary Haff work early, but Haff got her to pop out to shortstop after a 7-pitch at-bat. Arkansas third baseman Autumn Buczek then roamed into foul ground to secure Jessica Cothern's pop up for the second out of the inning.
Haff fanned DePaul's Morgan Greenwood on a pitch well into the right-hander's batter's box to close the top of the first. Arkansas will send Hannah McEwen, Buczek and Ashley Diaz to the plate in the home first.
Pregame
The weather is perfect in Fayetteville for the first day of regional play. The temperature is in the mid 80s and the sky is partly cloudy. There is a great crowd on hand as well.
Wichita State beat Oklahoma State 8-2 in the first game of the day. Arkansas will play at 1:30 p.m. tomorrow if it wins, and 4 p.m. if it loses.
Mary Haff (26-6) will start in the circle today for the Razorbacks.