Lafayette, La. – The Central Arkansas softball team was back in action on Saturday, playing a pair of games at the Louisiana Classic in Lafayette, Louisiana. The Bears opened the day with a 13-2 rout of Southland Conference opponent Incarnate Word, before falling 8-0 to host and ninth-ranked Louisiana-Lafayette.
In the day's first game, Incarnate Word (1-1) grabbed a 1-0 lead off of an RBI single in the bottom of the first, before the Bears (2-2) responded with six runs in the top of the second.
Designated player Bailey Reynolds got the rally started with a one-out single, before first baseman Ashley Boswell and center fielder Amy Gunnells loaded the bases with back-to-back walks. Third baseman Sam Forrest then launched a grand slam to put Central Arkansas up 4-1. Following a pitching change, right fielder Briana Whisenhunt laced a double down the right field line before moving to third on a ground out. Catcher Jessie Taylor then launched a home run of her own, this one a two-run shot to left field that put the Central Arkansas lead at 6-1.
Boswell extended the lead in the top of the third, blasting her first homer of the season to left-center field.
The Bears got back on the board in the top half of the seventh, loading the bases on consecutive singles from left fielder Hannah Stirton, shortstop Hailey Parker, and Reynolds. Boswell drove in Stirton with an infield single, and Gunnells picked up a pair of RBIs with a double to left-center, making it 10-1. Forrest ripped a single up the middle to plate two more runs and force a pitching change. Following a pair of outs and a double, Stirton singled through the left side to score Forrest and put the Bears up 13-1.
Incarnate Word added a run in bottom of the seventh, but the Bears prevented an extended rally.
Boswell led the Central Arkansas offense, going 2-for-2 with three runs scored, two runs batted in, and a walk, while Forrest went three-for-five with six RBIs and two runs.
Shivaun Landeros (1-1) went the distance to get the win for Central Arkansas, allowing one earned run on six hits and a walk. She struck out two in seven innings of work. Brooke DuBois (0-1) took the loss, allowing four runs on three hits and three walks in 1.1 innings. Sarah Leal allowed three runs on three hits in an inning, while Mikaela Flores surrendered six runs on eight hits and three walks over the course of 4.1 innings. Kristin Hebert threw 0.1 innings of hitless relief.
In the second game of the day, the Bears faced off against the ninth-ranked Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns (2-0), falling 8-0. Central Arkansas starter Kylee Studioso (1-1) kept ULL off of the board for three innings, but the Ragin' Cajuns plated five runs in the top of the fourth and added three more in the fifth to end the game.
Forrest, Taylor, and Stirton were the only Bears to manage a hit off of ULL starter KJ Trahan (1-0) who struck out seven and walked four in five innings. Studioso took the loss, allowing seven earned runs on eight hits and four walks in 4.1 innings of work, while Kayla Gomness held ULL hitless over 0.2 innings of relief.
The Bears return to the field tomorrow morning at 9:00 AM, facing off against Incarnate Word.
