WOODSTOCK, Ga. – The UCA softball team used four home runs, which accounted for all of their runs, as they slugged their way past the Saint Louis Bilikens, 7-4, Sunday morning in their final game at the Phyllis Rafter Memorial Classic.
Kasey Britt had the largest and most damaging home run with a grand slam in the top of the second, putting UCA atop 4-0. A Saint Louis pitching change didn’t stop Melissa Bryant from going back-to-back with Britt, as she belted her second homer of the year over the left centerfield fence.
The Bears added onto their lead in the third inning when Tiffany Roby, for the third straight day, homered to left. Roby, in 23 at-bats this season, now has four home runs, a mark that is second most on the team behind Britt’s six.
On the weekend Roby, a freshman out of North Little Rock, was 8-for-16 with four home runs, two doubles, six RBI, seven runs scored and posted a remarkable slugging percentage of 1.375.
In the fourth inning, Melanie Bryant welcomed another pitching change with the Bears fourth homer of the game as she hit a solo shot out to left giving the Bears a 7-0 advantage.
St. Louis then scrounged some offense together, grabbing a run in each of the fourth and sixth innings. The Bilikens drew closer in the seventh after a double and an error made the score 7-3. A one-out RBI single by Erin Harcar cut the lead to 7-4, but UCA pitcher Kelsie Armstrong retired the next two hitters, giving UCA the victory.
Armstrong (5-5), went the distance in the circle and allowed three earned runs while fanning five Bilikens and walking none. Julian Austin (2-3) got the loss for Saint Louis as she was tagged for four runs on four hits in an inning and a third of work.
The Bears recorded another double-digit hit effort this morning, their ninth so far in 2012. Melanie Bryant, Roby and Katie McGregor led the way with two hits apiece.
In the time of year where most teams begin to see their averages start to drop or “level off,” UCA has done just the opposite. Prior to this week’s slate of games, UCA boasted an average of .341. After the eight games played since Tuesday, the Bears are now hitting .358 as a team. Eight hitters through the first 18 games are hitting north of .300 and as a team, UCA has pounded out 17 home runs and are scoring 7.1 runs per game.
The Bears will bring their potent offense home on Tuesday when they take on UAPB in a doubleheader. It will be just the second home date of the year so far for the Bears. Game one of Tuesday’s doubleheader is set for 5 p.m.
