Baton Rouge, Louisiana – The Central Arkansas Bears headed to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to take part in LSU's Purple & Gold Challenge with a pair of games on Saturday afternoon. The Bears opened the day with a  6-1 win over Georgia Southern before falling to the seventh-ranked Tigers 9-2.

The day's opener saw Georgia Southern (3-3) take advantage of a Central Arkansas (2-6) error to grab a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, but that would be the only damage taken by Bear starter Kayla Gomness (1-3), who limited the Eagles to just one unearned run on three hits and a walk while striking out four to earn the complete-game victory.

Central Arkansas secured the win thanks to a 6-run sixth inning that got started with a single from second baseman Krissy Fontillas, who moved to second on an infield single from centerfielder Jessie Hoover. A third single, this one from left fielder Hannah Stirton, drove in Fontillas to even the game at 1-1, before a throwing error on a ground ball from third baseman Audrey Pratt plated Hoover. After Pratt stole second base, right fielder Briana Whisenhunt added a single of her own before first baseman Kaylyn Shepherd drew a walk to load the bases. The Bears then took advantage of a wild pitch, and illegal pitch, and a sacrifice fly from designated player Morgan Felts to extend the lead to 6-1.

In the nightcap, it was the Bears' turn to take an early lead, when Whisenhunt opened the game with a  single down the right-field line and moved to second on a wild pitch before a one-out single from designated player Lauren Brooks drove her in.

Central Arkansas would add another run in the second inning, as Stirton got things going with a one-out double to left-center field. An error on a grounder from Whisnehunt moved Stirton to third and a ground out pushed Whisenhunt into scoring position, before Brooks delivered again, ripping a single to third base to drive in Stirton and make it 2-0 in favor of the Bears.

LSU (7-1) got on the board in the bottom half of the fourth inning, evening the game at 2-2 with a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly, before taking the lead with a an RBI double in the fifth. The Tigers would break the game open in the sixth inning, getting a pair of three-run home runs to take a 9-2 lead.

The Bears showed some life in the seventh, as Felts started things with a one-out single. After Felts was erased on a fielder's choice off the bat of pinch hitter Kailla Searcy, Whisenhunt picked up her third hit of the game, a single to left, and Shepherd was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but the Bears were unable to capitalize.

Ellie Reaves (1-2) took the loss for the Bears, allowing six runs on 10 hits and a walk in five innings pitched. Jordan Ward surrendered two earned runs on two hits in one inning of relief.

The Bears get a pair of rematches tomorrow, taking on Georgia Southern at 9:30 AM before closing out the weekend against LSU at 2:30 PM.