Side angle view of Ali DuBois pitching against Stanford at the 2019 NCAA Regionals.
Matt Woolverton
1
Boston University BOSTONU 9-2
4
Winner Arkansas AR 8-1
Boston University BOSTONU
9-2
1
Final
4
Arkansas AR
8-1
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Boston University BOSTONU 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 4 2
Arkansas AR 0 0 0 0 0 4 X 4 4 0

W: Haff (3-1) L: DuBois, Ali (6-2) S: Bloom (2)

Game Recap: Softball |

No. 21/23 Arkansas Pulls Away Late in Pitchers' Duel to Defeat BU, 4-1

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – After being shut out through 5.2 innings by two-time Patriot League Pitcher of the Year Ali DuBois, No. 21/23 Arkansas used a two-RBI double to pull away and defeat the Boston University softball team, 4-1, on Thursday afternoon in the opening game of the Razorback Invitational.

Held to a season-low four hits, the Razorbacks improve to 8-1, while the Terriers drop to 9-2 following their first matchup of the season against a ranked opponent. 

In a copy performance of the 2019 NCAA regional opener at No. 5 national seed Florida, DuBois (6-2) pitched four no-hit innings against an SEC program. She finished with seven strikeouts and outlasted All-American Autumn Storms, who tallied five strikeouts in 5.1 innings of work before giving up an RBI double to sophomore Julia Handfield. 2018 National Freshman of the Year Top-3 Finalist Mary Haff (3-1) prevented BU from adding another run in the sixth, and Jenna Bloom recorded the final out in the seventh for her second save.   

HOW IT HAPPENED
  • Arkansas started the first with a walk and put runners on the corners following a two-out error, but DuBois got Linnie Malkin to strike out swinging.
  • Both DuBois and Storms had three strikeouts apiece through three innings.
  • Junior Marina Sylvestri broke up Storms' no-hit bid with a one-out double down the right field line in the top of the fourth but freshman pinch runner Allison Boaz ended up stranded at third.
  • Sophomore Nicole Amodio added the game's second hit in the fifth on a single with two outs.
  • Arkansas started the bottom half with a double, but DuBois earned a pair of ground outs and a strikeout to keep the game scoreless entering the sixth.
  • The Terriers struck first in the top of the sixth with freshman Caitlin Coker singling to center, taking second on Sylvestri's infield grounder and scoring on Handfield's double down the right field line.
  • Haff entered the circle in relief and got a pop up and fly out to keep the deficit at 1-0.
  • The Razorbacks opened the bottom half with a single and earned a two-out walk before Malkin redeemed her first inning strikeout with the two-RBI double to center for the 2-1 advantage.
  • With the bases loaded following a single and walk, Arkansas scored two more runs on a wild pitch and throwing error during the same play to pull away.
GAME NOTES
  • In her first-ever meeting against the Razorbacks last season, DuBois gave up four runs off four hits with just one strikeout before tossing four no-hit innings today.
  • Handfield earned her third hit of the season and her first career double, while Sylvestri earned her first double of the season.
  • Arkansas improved to 4-0 all-time against the Terriers after winning both meetings last season at home, 4-2 and 12-7.
  • The Razorbacks scored three earned runs against DuBois after she had allowed just three total in her first 41.2 innings of work.
NEXT UP: MONTANA AND MARIST
  • The Terriers will continue the Razorback Invitational with a doubleheader on Friday afternoon.
  • They will first meet Montana for the first time ever at 1:15 p.m. ET and then face off against Marist at 8 p.m. ET.
  • Marist has won the last four meetings with DH sweeps in 2016 and 2017.
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