CONWAY, Ark. _ A extra-inning win and a late-inning rally combined to give the University of Central Arkansas Bears a doubleheader sweep of second-place Sam Houston State in Southland Conference action on Saturday at Bear Stadium.
The Bears (26-11, 9-8) got a 10th-inning RBI single by Jansen McCurdy to win the opener 3-2. In the nightcap, UCA came back from a 3-2 deficit and scored three runs in the eighth inning and sophomore starter Cody Davenport finished off the complete-game 5-3 victory by working around a two-out base hit in the top of the ninth.
The Bearkats (26-13, 13-4) dropped their fourth-straight SLC game while the Bears broke a two-game losing streak and improved to 14-8 at home this season and to 3-1 in extra-inning games. The sweep gives UCA its fourth consecutive SLC series win.
In the bottom of the 10th inning in the opener, Davenport pinch hit and singled through the left side of the infield before giving way to pinch runner Josh Somdecerff. Keaton Presley had a base hit to left center, putting runners at first and second with two outs. McCurdy, a junior right fielder from White Oak, Texas, then dropped in a single to center field to score Somdecerff with the game-winner.
The Bears got two earlier runs off SHSU ace Heath Donica, who entered the game with a 7-1 record and 1.58 earned-run average. He lasted eight innings, allowing just 3 hits and 1 earned run while striking out 5. Lefthanded reliever Riley Cooper took the loss for the Bearkats, who also lost 2 of 3 games last weekend at Stephen F. Austin to fall out of first place in the league standings.
Presley finished 3 for 5 and scored the game's first run in the bottom of the first inning on Hunter Strong's ground out. In the fourth, Brooks Balisterri's ground out brought in Strong, who had led off the inning with a base hit.
UCA starter Tyler Gray went 7 innings, allowing just 4 hits and 2 earned runs and struck out 6. Junior Ty Tice (2-1) got the victory with three innings of relief work, also striking out 6.
In Game 2, Davenport (3-2) allowed 3 earned runs and struck out 6. UCA got to the SHSU bullpen in the eighth inning after starter Seth Ballew allowed just 2 unearned runs through six innings. Reliever Kyle Backhus (2-3) took the loss, allowing 3 runs (1 earned) in 1.0 innings. Three other relievers came on in the inning as well.
After single runs in the fourth (Balisterri's RBI single) and fifth innings (Presley's sacrifice fly), the Bears batted around in the eighth, with some help from two SHSU throwing errors and two wild pitches. McCurdy and Presley both reached base and both scored on the same wild pitch combined with a throwing error. McCarty eventually scored on another wild pitch to set the final.
The Bears had only 6 hits, with no player having multiple hits.
The series finale is set for 1 p.m. Sunday.
