Baton Rouge, La. – The Central Arkansas softball team returned to action on Friday afternoon, taking the field for a pair of games on the first day of the 2015 Tiger Classic, hosted by Louisiana State. The Bears opened the day with a hard-fought 3-2 win over Hofstra, before falling to sixteenth-ranked LSU 8-0 in their second game of the day.
After the first game started with Central Arkansas starter
Kylee Studioso gettig a pair of strikeouts in the top of the first inning, the Bears (5-2) staged a two-out rally to take a 1-0 lead in the bottom half of the frame. UCA collected four straight two-out walks, with designated player
Ryan Holdiness getting the RBI when her base on balls drove in second baseman
Sarah Bigej.
Hoftstra (0-1) got both of their runs in the top of the fourth inning to take a 2-1 lead. Centerfielder Caryn Bailey opened the inning with a single through the left side before advancing to second on a walk from second baseman Lacey Clark. A wild pitch moved the runners into scoring position, before designated player Brittany Allocca drove in Bailey with an infield single. Clark came around to score on a throwing error.
The Bears wasted no time in evening the score, as first baseman
Ashley Boswell blasted a home run to left field to lead off the bottom of the fourth.
Central Arkansas again used a two-out rally to take the lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. Centerfielder
Amy Gunnells lashed a double down the left field line to bring third baseman
Sam Forrest to the plate. Forrest delivered, roping a single to centerfield to plate Gunnells and give the Bears a 3-2.
The Pride threatened in the top of the seventh, getting a single and a walk to put a runner in scoring position, but Studioso fielded a ground ball and fired to first to retire Bailey and end the game.
The Bears were led offensively by Gunnells, who went 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored, and Boswell, who was 1-for-2 with a home run and a walk.
Studioso (4-1) earned her fourth complete game of the season, limiting the Pride to just a pair of runs on six hits and two walks with seven strikeouts. Morgan Lashley (0-1) took the loss for Hofstra, giving up three runs on three hits while walking six and striking out seven in 5.2 innings of work. Jessica Peslak gave up a hit in her third of an inning.
In the night cap, LSU (7-0) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first thanks to a three-run home run off the bat of third baseman Sahvanna Jaquish.
The Tigers added a run on a solo shot from catcher Kellsi Kloss in the fifth to make it 4-0.
The power surge continued for LSU in the sixth, when Jaquish hit another three-run shot, and pinch hitter Kailey McCasland hit an inside the park home run to end the game.
The Bears managed just one hit on the night, a fifth inning single from Forrest.
Baylee Corbello (3-0) earned the win for LSU, issuing four walks and allowing one hit while striking out five in six innings.
Shivaun Landeros (1-2) took the loss for the Bears, giving up three runs on six hits and three walks in three innings. She struck out two LSU batters.
Kayla Gomness gave up five runs on six hits and a walk in 2.2 innings of work.
The Bears play a pair of games Saturday, battling Notre Dame at 10:00 AM and facing off with Hofstra at 12:30.
