Conway – The Central Arkansas softball team hosted the Southland Conference-leading Southeastern Louisiana Lady Lions for a doubleheader at Farris Field on Friday. The Bears' offense was firing on all cylinders, as UCA put up 18 runs on 24 hits to sweep the doubleheader with 8-1 and 10-7 victories.
In the day's first game, the Bears (26-14, 14-3 SLC) took a lead on a single from
Ashley Boswell in the bottom of the second inning, before putting up three runs in the third to extend the lead to 4-0. After second baseman
Sarah Bigej drew a one-out walk, catcher
Jessie Taylor picked up her 10
th home run of the season, blasting a pitch over the fence in left field to put the Bears up 3-0. Shortstop
Hayley Parker then drew a two-out walk and stole second base before coming in to score on an error.
The Lady Lions (18-20, 12-4 SLC) cut into the UCA lead in the top of the fourth, when designated player Amber Sather doubled home shortstop Sydney Booker, but the Bears got three more runs in the bottom half of the frame to push their lead to 7-1. Boswell led off the inning with a single, but was erased on a fielder's choice off the bat of centerfielder
Amy Gunnells. After Gunnells stole second base, third baseman
Sam Forrest drew a walk. Right fielder
Briana Whisenhunt then drove in Gunnells, roping a double to left-center, before Bigej lofted a sacrifice fly to center to drive in Forrest. Whisenhunt then came in on a double from designated player
Bailey Reynolds.
Hannah Stirton doubled in shortstop Tori Seasor in the bottom of the sixth to cap the game's scoring.
Kylee Studioso (21-8) earned the complete game victory for UCA, limiting SLU to one run on five hits while striking out in seven innings. Taylor Bishop (12-4) took the loss, giving up eight runs, seven earned, on 10 hits and eight walks while striking out four in six innings.
Bigej opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning of the second game, singling up the middle to score Forrest from second base.
The Bears exploded for five runs on five hits and two errors in the bottom of the second. Parker opened the inning with an infield single before stealing second base. A single up the middle from Stirton brought in Parker and a fielding error on the play saw Stirton end up at second. Following a sacrifice bunt, Gunnells singled in Stirton and stole second base. Following an error and a stolen base from Forrest, Whisenhunt ripped a single to left to drive in Gunnells and then stole second. Bigej walked to load the bases for Taylor, who doubled off the fence in left-center to drive in Forrest and Whisenhunt and give the Bears a 6-0 lead.
SLU cut the lead to 6-4 in the top of the third, getting RBIs from left fielder Kinsey Nicholls, Booker, and third baseman Megan Moore, but the Bears put up four more runs in the bottom of the fourth to put the game out of reach. Gunnells opened the frame with an infield single and moved to second on a throwing error before scoring on a single up the middle from Forrest. After Whisenhunt doubled to put runners on the corners, Bigej drove a sacrifice fly to drive in Forrest and Taylor drew a walk. Pinch runner
Ryan Holdiness and Whisenhunt then executed a double steal before Holdiness came in to score on a single from Parker to give the Bears a 10-4 lead.
The Lady Lions struck twice in the fifth, and once in the seventh, but the Bears proved victorious.
Shivaun Landeros started for the Bears, allowing four runs on six hits and a walk while striking out three in three innings. Studioso earned the win in relief, holding SLU to three runs on five hits with five strikeouts in four innings. Madison Vige' (0-4) took the loss, giving up six runs on six hits in 1.1 innings, while Tori Stamper allowed four runs on eight hits and two walks while striking out four in 4.2 innings.
The Bears will look to complete the sweep tomorrow at 11:00 AM.
