ECHOLS GIVE UCA FOURTH STRAIGHT COMPLETE-GAME WIN

    CONWAY, Ark. _  University of Central Arkansas sophomore Riley Echols turned in the Bears' fourth straight complete game on the mound Saturday in a 5-0 shutout of the New Orleans Privateers in their Southland Conference finale at Bear Stadium.

    Echols joined Connor Gilmore and Brandon Hagerla in the complete-game trifecta in the weekend series that moved the Bears (23-15, 13-8) into third place in the SLC standings with three series remaining. New Orleans dropped to 13-29 and 3-18. That trio of pitchers had a 0.00 earned-run average for the weekend. Freshman Tyler Gray also pitched a complete game against UAPB on Wednesday to begin the streak.

    Echols, a sophomore righthander from Collierville, Tenn., allowed six hits, struck out five and walked one in his first career complete game. Hezekiah Randolph had UNO's only extra-base hit of the day _ and just second of the series _  with a ninth-inning double. Echols then retired Parker Jones on a ground out to end the game.

    UCA scored the only runs it would need in the second inning off UNO's ace Shawn Semple, the reigning SLC Pitcher of the Week. Brad Dillenberger and Hayden Steele drew one-out walks, with Dillenberger scoring on Logan Preston's single. Ty Tice followed with another RBI single to make it 2-0.

    The Bears were silent until the eighth inning when they added three more runs. Preston led off with a walk and Tice was hit by a pitch. Both advanced on a wild pitch before Nick Rougeau walked to load the bases. The Privateers turned a double play for the first two outs but left fielder Wesley Hoover doubled to right field to score two.

    Matt Anderson then followed with an RBI base hit to right to set the final at 5-0.

    UCA had just seven hits but they came from seven different players. Five different Bears scored. Hoover had two RBI, with Anderson, Preston and Tice getting the other three. Dillenberger was 1 for 1 and was on base four times with three of UCA's eight walks. 

    Echols improved to 3-2 while Semple dropped to 2-3.
    
    UCA has no mid-week games this week because of final exams but returns to SLC action next weekend at Incarnate Word. Game times are 6:30 Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.