Conway – The Central Arkansas Bears faced off with the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders in the final two games of their first Southland Conference series on Saturday. The Central Arkansas was on point, as the Bears tallied 20 runs on 23 hits and seven walks to defeat the Islanders 8-7 and 12-3.

In the day's first game, the Islanders (4-15-1, 0-3 SLC) got on the board first, as left fielder Dani Tefft doubled to left-centerfield to drive in third baseman Cosette Hernandez, who led off the game with a walk. Central Arkansas (15-6, 3-0 SLC) starter Kylee Studioso buckled down and struck out the next three Islanders to work out of the jam and limit AMCC to just one run.

The Bears responded in the bottom half of the frame, getting a pair of unearned runs to take a 2-1 lead. Right fielder Briana Whisenhunt reached on a fielding error and stole second base before second baseman Sarah Bigej drove in Whisenhunt with a double to right field and, after advancing to third on a passed ball, scored on a sacrifice fly from catcher Jessie Taylor.

Designated player Audrey Pratt added to the UCA lead in the bottom of the second, as she launched the first home run of her collegiate career into the bullpen in left field to put the Bears up 3-1.

The Bears built on to their in the bottom of the third getting three unearned runs to extend their lead to 6-1. With one out Whisenhunt singled up the middle and Bigej was hit by a pitch. A fielding error allowed them both to score and put left fielder Hannah Stirton on first base, and then a throwing error allowed Stirton to round the bags and score.
Stirton drew a bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the fourth to make it 7-1 in favor of the Bears.

The Islanders cut into the UCA lead in the top of the sixth, when centerfielder Mickayla Cochran doubled down the leftfield line and then came in to score on a homerun from first baseman Lindsey Lyles, to make it 7-4 UCA.

Bigej launched a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth, which proved to be the game-winner, as AMCC got a three-run homer from catcher Brittany Morse in the top half of the seventh. Studioso again worked out of the jam, getting a groundout and a pair of strikeouts to strand the tying run at first base.

Studioso (12-2) picked up the win for UCA, allowing seven runs on nine hits and four walks while striking out 10 in her 13^th complete game this season. Stephanie Flores (1-6) took the loss giving up eight runs on five hits and four walks in six innings. She struck out three.

Bigej gave the Bears a 1-0 lead in the first inning of the second game, singling home Whisenhunt, but the Islanders evened the score in the fourth with an infield single from Carter.

The Bears wasted no time in responding, getting RBI singles from centerfielder Amy Gunnells and third baseman Sam Forrest.

AMCC again knotted the score, this time with and RBI groundout from Tefft and a run on a wild pitch to lock the game at 3-3.

A five-run fifth inning from Central Arkansas broke the game open, as Taylor led off the inning with a homerun into the leftfield bullpen. The Bears also got RBIs from Gunnells, Forrest, Whisenhunt, and first baseman Ashley Boswell in the inning.

The Bears tacked on four more runs in the bottom of the sixth, getting a two-run double from Boswell and a two-run home run from pinch hitter Lindsey Elliot to give the Bears the 12-3 win.

Shivaun Landeros (3-4) limiting the Islanders to three runs, two of which were earned, on six hits and a walk in five innings. She struck out four AMCC batters. Kayla Gomness worked one inning of relief, walking two. Carter took the loss, surrendering eight runs on 14 hits and three walks with four strike outs in 4.1 innings. Katie Blanar gave up four runs on four hits in two-thirds of an inning.

The Central Arkansas offense was led on the day by Pratt, who went a combined 4-for-7, with a home run and a double, and Bigej, who was 3-for-5 with three runs scored and three runs driven in.

The Bears take a break from SLC play on Tuesday, travelling to Springfield, Missouri to take on the Missouri State Bears at 5:00 PM. UCA will then return to SLC play on Friday, hosting Stephen F. Austin for a doubleheader at Farris Field. The first game is scheduled to begin at 4:00 PM, with the second game set for 6:00 PM. The Bears and Ladyjacks will close out their series on Saturday, with first pitch scheduled for noon.