Conway – The Central Arkansas Bears continued their run of come-from-behind wins on Saturday, scoring two runs in the bottom of the seventh to remain perfect in Southland Conference play with a 4-3 win over Nicholls.
The Colonels (17-12, 5-5 SLC) struck first, getting an RBI triple from shortstop Brooke Morris to take a 1-0 lead. Following a walk, Nicholls executed a double-steal to push the lead to 2-0.
Central Arkansas (22-8, 10-0 SLC) evened the score in the fifth inning. Following a strikeout to start the inning, third baseman
Sam Forrest got the Bears on the board, launching
her seventh home run of the season over the fence in left-centerfield to cut the Nicholls lead to 2-1. Right fielder
Briana Whisenhunt followed Forrest with a single and a stolen base, before catcher
Jessie Taylor ripped a single through the left side of the infield to score Whisenhunt from second and knot the score at 2-2.
Nicholls re-took the lead with an infield single in the top of the seventh, but the Bears rallied in the bottom half of the frame. After Forrest led off the inning with a single to second base, she was lifted in favor of pinch runner
Brianna McArthur, who moved to third base on a single from second baseman
Sarah Bigej. Bigej advanced to second on the throw. Taylor came through in the clutch again for Central Arkansas, blasting a single off the fence in left field to drive in McArthur and Bigej and give the Bears the win.
Forrest led the Central Arkansas offense, going a perfect 3-for-3 from the plate with a double and a home run, while Taylor went 2-for-4 with three RBI. Morris and leftfielder Hayley Parkerson paced the Nicholls attack, each going 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Kylee Studioso (18-4) overcame a rough first innings that saw her allow two runs on two hits to limit the Colonels to a single run on five hits over the remaining six innings. She finished the day with six strikeouts and a walk. Hannah Haydel (10-6) took the loss for Nicholls, allowing four runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out five.
The Bears and the Colonels will close out the series with a doubleheader tomorrow. The day's first game will begin at noon.
