Corpus Christi, Texas –
The Central Arkansas softball team traveled to Corpus Christi, Texas on Saturday to begin their final series of the regular season with a doubleheader against the A&M Corpus Christ Islanders. The Bears took the first game of the day by a score of 7-4 in eleven innings before dropping the second game by a score of 6-4.
The day’s first game saw the Bears (36-17, 15-9 SLC) score six runs in extra innings to pick up the victory. Left fielder Sarah Bigej led the offense, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and a pair of sacrifices in the game. Right fielder Sam Forrest scored two runs and drove in another, while designated player Jessie Taylor and centerfielder Amy Gunnells each drove in a run.
Kelsie Armstrong (28-11) picked up the complete game victory, marking the 36
th time this season that she has gone the distance. She allowed seven hits and only one earned run without issuing a walk on the day. She struck out 11 Islanders. Constance Brandenburg (6-18) took the loss for AMCC (10-39, 5-21 SLC), throwing all 11 innings and giving up four earned runs on nine hits and six walks.
Game two of the twinbill featured a different kind of late-game drama, as the Islanders built a 6-1 lead before the Bears rallied with three runs in the top of the seventh. The rally came up short with the tying run on second base.
Bigej again led the Bears, going 1-for-2 with a walk. She drove in two runs and scored another. Designated player Melanie Bryant, first baseman Ashley Boswell, and Gunnells were the only other Central Arkansas players to record a hit.
Ciara Clampitt (3-3) took the loss for Central Arkansas, allowing five earned runs on eight hits and three walks in 3.2 innings of work. Kelsie Barker worked 2.1 scoreless innings of relief, giving up just one hit and recording the Bears’ only strikeout of the game. Bethany Slick (2-6) earned the win for the Islanders, limiting the Bears to just two earned runs on four hits in seven innings of work.
She issued seven walks and struck out two Bears.
Central Arkansas and A&M Corpus Christi will play the rubber match of their three game set tomorrow at noon.
