Beaumont, Texas – The Central Arkansas softball team returned to Southland Conference play on Saturday, travelling to Beaumont, Texas for a doubleheader against the Lamar Lady Cardinals. The Lady Cardinals proved to be too much for the Bears to handle on the day, as the Bears suffered a pair of defeats, falling 7-0 and 11-3.
In the first game, the Lady Cardinals (11-10,6-1 SLC) were led by pitcher Tina Schulz (5-5), who picked up the complete game victory. In addition to keeping the Bears off the board while scattering nine hits and two walks and striking out six Central Arkansas batters, she was 2-for-2 at the plate, driving in four runs on a three-run home run and a sacrifice fly.
Third baseman Sam Forrest led the way for the Central Arkansas (14-19, 4-3 SLC) offense, going 3-for-4 four with a double, while centerfielder Amy Gunnells was 1-for-2 with a walk.
Ciara Clampitt (3-8) took the loss for the Bears, allowing four runs on five hits while striking out one over 4.1 innings. Kayla Gomness allowed a run in the fourth inning, before Peyton Jenkins finished the game, allowing a pair of runs on two hits over the final 1.2 innings.
Lamar took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning of game two, before the Central Arkansas offence responded with three runs in the top of the fourth. Forrest got the scoring started with an RBI double, before second baseman Sarah Bigej drove her in with a 2-run blast to right-center field. The Lady Cardinals would score ten unanswered runs to pick up the victory.
Bigej led the Bear offense, going 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI on her home run and Forrest was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
Shannon Millman (5-5) picked up the complete game win, limiting the Bears to three runs on 11 hits and two walks over six innings. She struck out six. Kylee Studioso (7-6) suffered the loss, giving up four runs on four hits and three walks over four innings while striking out four. Gomness threw 1.1 innings, allowing five runs on five hits, and Kelsie Barker gave up two runs in 0.1 innings of work.
The Bears look to salvage the series tomorrow at 1:00 pm.
