FAYETTEVILLE — Before the first pitch was thrown Friday, the Arkansas crowd was in a frenzy at Bogle Park.
A long line stretched down the sidewalk in front of the ballpark and red-clad Razorback fans were setting up lawn chairs and laying down blankets from one foul line to the other on the outfield berm.
The announced crowd of 3,058 was the third-largest crowd in Arkansas softball history. They watched the Razorbacks beat Princeton 11-0 in five innings.
“I really do feel like we have the best atmosphere in college softball,” Arkansas Coach Courtney Deifel said in the postgame media tent. “They’re getting there early. … I mean that first Hog Call when I was at the umpire meeting was so loud, I could barely hear the person next to me.”
The feat is a testament to the turnaround the program has experienced under Deifel, which included a number of firsts this season for the program. Arkansas (45-9) won the outright SEC regular-season championship and the SEC Tournament championship for the first time, and senior KB Sides was the first Razorback to earn SEC Player of the Year honors.
Each of the Razorbacks' 10 largest home crowds have come with Deifel as the coach.
“You can feel that energy and so it’s a huge difference-maker for us,” she said. “I’m really proud of our team for drawing that crowd, and I’m just really appreciative of our fans coming and bringing so much energy.”
Princeton Coach Lisa Van Ackeren lauded the Arkansas crowd, calling the atmosphere “awesome” and praising the fans for giving her team an experience it has not had in a long time. Princeton played just a handful of games in 2020 and 2021 because of the covid pandemic.
Gibby’s ribbies
During Thursday’s news conference, Arkansas Coach Courtney Deifel said the Razorbacks would likely have to beat Princeton without relying on the long ball. The Tigers entered the NCAA regional with five home runs allowed.
The prediction was spot-on for three innings as Arkansas built a 3-0 lead off three hits and savvy base-running by KB Sides. It seemed as if the Razorbacks may, in fact, not need the long ball.
Danielle Gibson ended that narrative when she stepped to the plate in the fourth inning with the bases loaded.
The fifth-year senior from Murrieta, Calif., crushed a grand slam into the packed center field berm, a no-doubter from the moment it left her bat.
She made certain to remind everyone why Arkansas has broken the single season home run record (103) and earned the nickname “Bogle Bombers.” She also drove in another run, giving her 5 RBI for the game.
It was only the sixth home run given up by Princeton pitchers this season, but the costliest. It was Gibson’s 19th and extended Arkansas’ lead to 8-0, blowing open the game.
Princeton Coach Lisa Van Ackeren said batting power in the regional was destined to make her team surrender a home run.
“I’m proud of my pitching staff, but if I was a betting woman, I would’ve guessed that with the teams that we were facing, we’d give up a long ball at some point over the course of the weekend,” Van Ackeren said. “We hope it’s not one that hurts you too bad, but you know, it’s just one of those things where I think that our pitchers needed to get some of the jitters out in the circle and really settle into their best stuff.
“I think we’ve got better in us for sure and could make more competitive pitches for sure. But you know, it’s a testament to Arkansas. If you make mistakes, they’re going to punish them.”
Choosing Sides
During the 2021 season, Arkansas stole four bases. The team was dynamic enough at the plate that base running prowess wasn’t crucial.
The addition of Alabama transfer KB Sides during the offseason added another dimension to the Razorbacks’ offense. Her presence has led to the team’s stolen bases total multiply nearly tenfold. The Razorbacks have 38 steals this season, and Sides is responsible for 28.
She reached base each time at the plate against Princeton on Friday. She tallied two hits, drew a walk and was hit by a pitch.
“As advertised, man,” Princeton Coach Lisa Van Ackeren said of Sides. “She’s a stud. What can you say? Like SEC Player of the Year, absolutely tons of respect for that kid and clearly … a tone-setter for your lineup. She stretches things out so you have to be ready for the next play and always anticipate that she’s going to try and take two bases, which we learned from the first inning.”
Haff leads staff
Earlier this week, Arkansas Coach Courtney Deifel joked the it feels as if redshirt-senior pitcher Mary Haff has been at Arkansas for the entire time she has been head coach.
The right-hander from Winter Haven, Fla., has been with the team since 2017, and has since been named an All-American twice, SEC Pitcher of the Year in 2021 and cemented her name near the top of nearly all program pitching records.
Haff added one more accolade Friday after keeping Princeton scoreless — the most shutouts in Arkansas softball history. It was the 27th of her career.
“I did know before this game that I was tied with the record,” Haff said. “It just means a lot and the opportunities that I’ve been given here, not everyone gets those opportunities. The fact that I’ve been able to come in my freshman year and immediately make an impact and carry that out through my career, it just shows Coach Deifel believes in me and just the rest of the team has my back.
“Having run support just gives me that extra ‘oomph’ that I need to go out there and pitch shutouts. I’m just so proud of the team and also myself, for finally being able to push past that accomplishment.”