CONWAY, Ark. - Sophomore pitcher Kelsie Armstrong broke the school career strikeout record as the University of Central Arkansas softball team swept Nicholls in a Southland Conference double-header at Farris Field on Saturday. The Bears (16-20, 6-8) used Armstrong's 12-strikeout, one-hit shutout to win game one 3-0. They followed with three home runs in game two en route to a 8-1 victory over the Colonels (9-22, 2-11).
Armstrong (10-13), from Hot Springs, Ark., now has 355 career strikeouts in 347.2 innings in less than two seasons. She passed Brooke Boatman's (2000-03) old mark of 346 strikeouts.
In the bottom of the third of game one, junior right fielder Nicole Beals doubled and moved to third after Candice Gauntt's grounder resulted in an error. Junior left fielder Kasey Britt followed with a two-run base hit to give UCA an early lead.
Gauntt reached on another error to lead off the sixth then stole second. Sophomore catcher Melanie Bryant drove Gauntt with a base hit to give the Bears the 3-0 win.
Armstrong lost her no-hitter bid in with two outs in the top of the sixth when center fielder Megan Gaspard singled up the middle. Nicholls pitcher Carlee Winkelmann (2-7) struck out two while allowing five hits, three unearned runs and one walk.
Beals led the Bears by going 2-for-3 with a double. Gauntt was 0-for-3 but scored twice and stole two bases.
In game two, Gauntt had a one-out infield single in the bottom of the first then stole second. Sophomore shortstop Melissa Bryant doubled Gauntt in to give the Bears a 1-0 lead. Bryant scored after Colonel shortstop Tsade Joubert threw away a ground ball hit by Melanie Bryant.
In the third, Beals doubled and Gauntt drew a walk, setting up a Britt three-run blast that sailed over the right field fence. Melanie Bryant hit a two-run homer, her seventh of the season, in the fifth to give UCA a 7-0 advantage.
Third base man Ashley Ray hit a solo shot in the top of the sixth for the Colonels' only run of the day. Senior first baseman Shay Ristau crushed a solo home run to lead off the sixth to give UCA their final run,
Gauntt went 2-for-2 with three runs scored and three rstolen bases. Melissa Bryant had two hits, including a double. Gaspard had two hits and two steals for Nicholls. Ray also went 2-for-3.
Junior Cami Newsome (5-6) picked up the win by striking out six and allowing five hits and two walks over seven innings. Ashton Bennett (5-10) was charged with the loss after giving up five hits and four earned runs in the first two innings.
UCA and Nicholls will wrap up the series on Sunday at noon.
