Conway – The Central Arkansas softball team stepped out of Southland Conference play on Tuesday welcoming Missouri State to Farris Field. The Bears and the Bears put on a fireworks display, combing for seven runs on 19 hits, six of which were homeruns. The maroon Bears of Missouri State ended the game on top, defeating the purple Bears of Central Arkansas 10-7.
Missouri State (13-7) built a 4-0 lead over the first three innings, getting an RBI single in the second and adding three more on another RBI single and a two-run homer in the third. Central Arkansas (10-16) struck back in the bottom of the third, cutting the lead to 4-2 with a leadoff double from leftfielder Hannah Stirton and a two-run bomb off the bat of third baseman Sam Forrest to cut the Missouri State lead in half.
MSU tacked on two more runs in the fourth, taking advantage of a Central Arkansas error and a run-scoring single to push its lead to 6-2. Shortstop Hayley Parker led off the inning with a solo homerun to right field, and, Forrest picked up her second home run of the game later in the frame with a two-run shot to right to put UCA down 6-5.
Central Arkansas was unable to keep Missouri State off the board, as MSU got a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning and a three-run bomb in the seventh to build a 10-5 lead heading to the bottom of the seventh. A groundout opened the inning, followed by a double from catcher Jessie Taylor and another groundout. Parker stepped to the plate and launched her second homerun of the day, clearing the fence in centerfield to plate Taylor and cut the lead to 10-7, before a groundout cut the rally short.
Ciara Clampitt (2-7) took the loss for Central Arkansas. She gave up five runs, just two of which were earned over three innings, allowing five hits and a walk while striking out two. Kylee Studioso and Kayla Gomness worked in relief for UCA. Studioso threw 3.1 innings, giving up five runs of her own on six hits and a walk. She struck out four. Gomness got the final two outs in the top of the seventh without allowing a baserunner. Jessie Van Es got the start for Missouri State, throwing 3.1 innings and surrendering five runs on six hits and a walk with one strikeout. Chelsea Jones (5-3), who split time between the designated player and pitcher positions, earned the win in relief, allowing two runs on two hits while issuing two walks and striking out two.
Central Arkansas hits the field again on Thursday, hosting Memphis at 5:00 in the evening. The Bears will then welcome Southland Conference foe Stephen F. Austin for a three game set over the weekend. The teams will face off with a double-header set to begin at 11:00 Saturday morning, before wrapping up the series with a single game at noon on Sunday.
