NACOGDOCHES, Texas _ One game went 10 innings and the other just eight as the University of Central Arkansas Bears completed the series sweep of Stephen F. Ausitn on Saturday afternoon, winning 9-8 in the first game and 11-1 in the nightcap at Jaycees Field on the opening weekend of Southland Conference play.
UCA (7-3, 3-0) dominated the second game, putting up six runs in the first inning and getting a complete game from junior right hander Brandon Hagerla on the mound. A two-run eighth inning, including a two-run triple to the right center by catcher Travis Hull, ended the game by run rule. Hagerla sat down the Lumberjacks in order in the bottom of the eighth to improve to 2-0 on the season.
Hagerla went the distance, allowing just five hits and one run while striking out three and walking one. Hull finished that game 3 for 5 with 4 RBI and two runs scored. UCA out-hit SFA 10-5 in Game 2.
In the opener, the teams traded big innings before the Bears came up with the winning run in the top of the 10th. The Lumberjacks (4-12, 0-3) put up six runs in the fourth inning to take a 6-2 lead over the Bears, and added another run in the sixth for a 7-2 lead. But UCA answered with a five-run seventh when it batted around and got a two-run single from third baseman Nate Ferrell and RBI from pinch hitter Joey Pinney.
In the 10th, facing SFA's sixth pitcher of the game, Matt Anderson walked and moved to second on Logan Preston's sacrifice bunt. He moved to third on a wild pitch and eventually scored on Tyler Langley's base hit to the gap in left center. Langley was 3 for 5 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored. Ferrell, Anderson and Pinney all had two hits each as UCA out-hit SFA again 11-9.
Junior Bo Stitch (3-0) picked up the win on the mound for the second consecutive game, going the final three innings, striking out three and allowing two hits. UCA won the opener 5-4 in 12 innings on Friday night.
The Bears opened the second game with three straight bunt singles to load the bases in the first inning against SFA starter Eric Polivka. Travis Hull then hit a ball that glanced off the glove of SFA first baseman Dan O'Neill and into foul territory, allowing Braxton Phillips to score. Brandon Montalvo followed with a walk to score Chris Townsend.
Logan Preston had a sacrifice fly and Anderson doubled to center to make it 5-0 and Jacob Richardson's ground out stretched it to 6-0 before the home team came to the plate. After SFA got one run back in the bottom of the first, three more runs came across for the Bears in the second inning on RBI from Hull, Brandon Montalvo and Anderson again.
With Hagerla cruising, the Bears finally ended it in the eighth on Hull's triple, his third hit of the game and fourth of the day.
Langley was 3 for 5 with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored, wile Anderson ws 2 for 2 with 2 runs and an RBI. Pinney was 2 for 3 off the bench and Ferrell wsa 2 for 6 with a pair of RBI.
UCA returns to action on Tuesday at Wichita State before hosting Lamar in SLC play next weekend.
